Sleep Disorders:Types,Causes and Treatments

• Insomnia, in which you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep through the night.
• Sleep apnea, in which you experience abnormal breathing patterns while you sleep.
• Restless legs syndrome(RLS), a kind of disorder of sleep activity. Restless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, causes a feeling of discomfort and the need to move your legs while trying to fall asleep.
• Narcolepsy, a condition characterized by extreme drowsiness during the day and falling asleep suddenly during the day.

• Physical (such as ulcers)
• Medical (such as asthma)
• Psychiatric medicine (such as depression and anxiety disorders)
• Environmental (like alcohol)
• Working the night shift (this work schedule messes up "biological clocks")
• Genetics (narcolepsy is genetic)
• Medications (some interfere with sleep)
• Aging (about half of all adults over 65 have a sleep disorder. It is not clear if this is a normal part of aging or the result of medications that older people commonly use)

• Further testing may be needed
• Exam considers factors contributing to insomnia
• Questions about snoring, weight gain, anxiety, depression

Tests Used to Diagnose

• Sleep Diary: Tracks sleep patterns for diagnosis
• Epworth Sleepiness Scale: Assesses daytime sleepiness
• Polysomnogram: Measures sleep activity
• Actigraphy: Evaluates sleep-wake patterns with wrist device
• Mental Health Exam: Screens for depression, anxiety, other disorders

• Counseling: Some sleep specialists recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy to recognize, challenge, and change stressful thoughts disrupting sleep.
• Medications and supplements
• Practice sleep hygiene, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule
• Exercise regularly
• Minimize noise
• Minimize the light
• Control the temperature so you feel comfortable

Your healthcare provider will recommend treatments based on your particular situation and may recommend the following medications and supplements:

• Sleep aids can be helpful sometimes for insomnia, such as melatonin, zolpidem, zaleplon, eszopiclone, ramelteon, suvorexant, lemborexant, or doxepin.
• Restless legs syndrome can be treated with gabapentin, gabapentin enacarbil, or pregabalin.
• Narcolepsy can be treated with various stimulants or medications that promote wakefulness, such as Modafinil, Armodafinil, Pitolisant, and Solriamfetol.

• Heavy snoring
• Your partner complains of your apnoeic spells during sleep.
• Falling asleep while driving
• Struggle to stay awake when inactive, such as when watching TV or reading
• Has difficulty paying attention or concentrating at work, school, or home
• You have performance problems at work or school
• Others often tell you that you seem tired
• You have difficulty with your memory
• They have slow responses
• You have difficulty controlling your emotions
• You feel the need to take naps almost every day

Medical attention is necessary if you experience one or more of these characteristics.

• Dietary changes
• Regular exercise can prevent sleep problems.
• Good sleep hygiene
• Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and avoid caffeine before bedtime to prevent sleep issues. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Try not to nap during the day because naps can make you less sleepy at night.

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol:
  • Stimulants hinder sleep
  • Alcohol disrupts sleep quality
• Exercise regularly:
  • Avoid close to bedtime
  • Don't exercise 3 hours before bed
  • Don't eat heavy meals before bed
• Create comfortable sleep environment:
  • Dark, quiet, moderate temperature
  • Use sleep mask if needed
• Relaxing routine before bed:
  • Read, listen to music, take a bath
  • Reserve bed for sleep or sex only
  • If can't sleep, get up and do something calming
  • Make to-do list to ease worries before bed