What is sleep disturbances?
Sleep is crucial for health and well-being. However, many people suffer from sleep disturbances that prevent restful and restorative sleep. Sleep disturbances is an umbrella term for a wide range of issues that disrupt normal sleep patterns.
Some common types of sleep disturbances include:
- Insomnia: Difficulty falling or staying asleep. This can occur due to stress, underlying health conditions, medications, or other factors. Symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, or waking up too early.
- Sleep apnea: Brief pauses in breathing during sleep, caused by airway obstruction. This results in loud snoring, restless sleep, and daytime fatigue.
- Restless leg syndrome: Unpleasant sensations in the legs accompanied by an irresistible urge to move them. Symptoms get worse at night and in periods of inactivity.
- Narcolepsy: Excessive daytime sleepiness and abrupt, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the day. It is a chronic neurological disorder.
- Circadian rhythm disorders: Misalignment between the body's internal clock and the external 24-hour day/night cycle. This includes advanced sleep phase disorder, delayed sleep phase disorder, jet lag and shift work disorder.
The consequences of sleep disturbances can be far-reaching, negatively impacting energy, mood, cognitive functioning, work performance and long-term health. Persistent sleep debt has been linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression.
If you struggle with poor sleep, consult your healthcare provider. Maintaining sleep hygiene habits like limiting blue light exposure before bedtime, avoiding large meals, excessive alcohol or stimulants at night can help. Treatment options range from lifestyle changes and behavior therapies to medications or medical devices like CPAP for sleep apnea.