Can’t Sleep: Can Be a Sleep Disorder

Do you wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to sleep again, no matter how tired you are or how hectic your day was? Or do you feel your mood, health and ability to perform daily tasks have altered or worsened? It can be sleeping disorder, insomnia with a risk of some serious underlying condition.

sleep disorders

Each one of us must have experienced this at one time or another. According to the Institute Of Medicine, 50-70 million Americans are affected by sleeping disorders that has been linked to excessive daytime sleepiness, car crashes and behavioral problems. The following health problems are commonly associated with sleep disorders:

  1. Prolonged medical and physical conditions: There are many medical and physical conditions that can cause sleep disorder. Some of the common problems are:
  • Heartburn due to the acidity: Lying down in bed often worsens the heartburn, which is the result of the backup of stomach acid into the esophagus. Avoid the heartburn by abstaining from fatty or heavy food items, alcohol and coffee. Over the counter drugs can help you suppress acidity and aid sound sleep.
  • Diabetes: Diabetic patients find it difficult to sleep because of night sweats and urge to urinate frequently due to diabetes. This affects the sleep pattern and cause inconvenience.
  • Musculoskeletal disorders: Arthritis pain makes it hard for people to fall asleep and resettle when they shift positions. Also, treatment with steroids often causes insomnia. You might feel the urge to take the pain killers before bedtime to relieve swelling and pain in your joints during the night, but it might result in sleep disorder.
  1. General mental disorders: People with depression or anxiety often find it difficult to fall asleep. Anxiety, panic attacks and depression often strike at night and it becomes very difficult to sleep. Further, the sleep loss exacerbates the problems and worsens the situation.
  2. Brain and nerve disorders: There are certain nerve and brain disorders that cause sleeplessness. People who suffer from epilepsy are prone to seizures twice more likely as people who suffer from insomnia. The brave wave disturbance causes seizures cause deficit in the slow-wave sleep. Over the time the anti-seizure drugs correct the sleep disturbances if used for long. Other nerve disorders that cause sleep disorder are tumors, strokes, headaches and Parkinson’s disease.

Do not accept poor sleep as a way of your life; instead seek a sleep medicine specialist help. Remember, sound sleep is a necessity and a key to up your potential, and not a luxury.