What Are Sleep Disorders and How Do You Treat Them?

According to research by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, it is estimated that between forty and sixty million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, or have trouble falling asleep at some point every year.

These disorders can be a result of a number of different things. Some people have trouble falling asleep due to bad dreams, a new medicine or pill that can cause insomnia, periods of high stress at work, or even because of a health problem such as chronic pain.

Other people have a sleep disorder that causes them to be tired all the time and they may have problems with sleeping too much. Most of these sleep problems are not life threatening but some can lead to heart attack or stroke.

Sleep deprivation is not considered a disease. In most cases sleep disorders or sleep deprivation is a result of another condition or issue. Many doctors break these problems down into three categories; too little sleep, broken or disturbed sleep, and sleeping too much.

Most conditions can be treated if they are properly diagnosed or if the underlying condition is discovered. If you have trouble falling asleep and are afraid you suffer from a sleep disorder you should first try to understand what occurs during normal stages of sleep and what is considered a good amount of sleep.

In most cases adult sleep habits should include an average of seven to eight hours each night. However, children and teenagers will require more time asleep.There are five stages of sleep. The stages run in cycles throughout the night as your body goes from stage one to five, and then starts over.

Each cycle lasts about one and a half hours. Stages one through four are categorized as non-rapid eye movement sleep. While the fifth stage is categorized as REM sleep, basically because as the name suggests, your eyes move rapidly.

As your body goes through each stage you are considered to be deeper into sleep and harder to wake. The fifth rem stage, considered deep sleep, is where dreams occur and sleepwalking can take place. During this stage heart beat increases and breathing patterns will become more rapid.

The most common disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, and apnea disturb these cycles. On average women and the elderly suffer more often from these conditions than younger men. However, children are more likely to suffer from night terrors than adults.

It is also possible to spouses or sleeping partners to be awakened by the snoring that accompanies some disorders. The most effective way to determine therapies for your sleep disorder will be to visit a doctor for diagnosis.

The proper remedy will depend on the medical diagnosis and the cause for the disorder. For example short term insomnia relating from stress or trauma may be treated by sleeping pills and restless leg syndrome can also be treated with drugs in some situations . However, this form of treatment can cause dependency. If you are diagnosed with a long term condition it may call for a lifestyle change or you may want to try alternative therapies.

In some cases you may find that there is no exact cure. A diagnosis of sleep apnea can be treated with a CPAP machine but loosing weight can help some people with the condition. Some people need to change their natural environment in order to get to sleep.

You may need to avoid caffeine, arrange your bedroom so it's conducive to sleepiness (in other words turn off the TV), you may also want to consider natural supplements that can help with sleep. Sometimes trouble falling asleep may be caused by chemical or nutritional deficiencies in the body.

You may find there is a natural cure you can use for insomnia. However, with obstructive sleep apnea you may need intense treatment or therapy to receive a cure. It is recommended that you first visit your physician and ask how you can have a sleep test done.

Most often you will need to sleep at the hospital or clinic overnight or for a few hours. If you are diagnosed with a sleep condition you can then ask your doctor for advice on how to treat your conditions, and for tips on alternative treatments.

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