What You Need to Know about Sleep Disorders

If you’re having trouble getting a good night’s rest and you’re desperate to enjoy deeper, healing sleep (the way that you used to), you need to know that you may be suffering from a sleep disorder.

These days, diagnoses for certain sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, are on the rise.

In order to help you learn the symptoms and side effects of the most common sleep disorders, we’ve compiled a practical quick guide, along with some helpful advice on treatment options.

Once you’ve checked out our quick guide, you’ll be one step closer to getting the help that you need…

Common Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders stop people from enjoying restful sleep. They may also trigger daytime symptoms, such as tiredness and loss of mental acuity.

Since there are a plethora of sleep apnea disorders out there, the number of people who suffer from these health problems is estimated to be seventy million or more.

The most commonly-experienced sleep disorders are::

• Insomnia
• Sleep apnea

Insomnia Facts

Insomnia is a sleep disorder which is characterized by difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. It may be chronic or sporadic in nature.

This disorder afflicts both genders, and it may affect any age group. People who are diagnosed as insomniacs will suffer from certain symptoms, such as:

• trouble falling asleep
• wakefulness during the night; problems getting back to sleep
• getting up too early in the a.m.
• having non-restful sleeps
• dealing with at least one symptom during the daytime hours, such as: sleepiness, mood swings, concentration problems, slip-ups at work or while operating large machines.

Sleep Apnea Facts

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is more severe than insomnia. It happens when a person’s breathing suffers frequent interruptions during sleep. Those with untreated sleep apnea will experience stop-starts in breathing over and over again as they sleep. There are two common forms of sleep apnea: obstructive and central.

Symptoms will include:

• stop-starts in breathing
• loud, intermittent snoring
• daytime fatigue and sleepiness
• mood swings
• morning headaches
• cognitive problems related to tiredness

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) afflicts the most people, and it’s triggered by a blockage of the airway, due to soft tissue collapsing at the rear of the throat during sleep. With central sleep apnea, the airway will not be blocked ; however, the brain will fail to signal muscles (telling them to breathe) due to problems in the breathing control center.

Other, less-common sleep disorders include restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy…

Treatment Options for Sleep Disorders

Insomnia may occur due to underlying health disorders or it may occur for psychological reasons, such as stress. Therefore, talking to a doctor about insomnia is definitely the best way to access effective treatment.

Doctors may prescribe medication in order to facilitate sleep, or they may recommend stress management therapies, such as exercise, proper diet or therapy.

With regard to obstructive sleep apnea, those who suspect that they may have the disorder should talk to their doctors and request sleep studies. These tests will confirm or exclude the presence of sleep apnea.

CPAP Therapy is the Best Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The number-one, doctor-recommended treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP therapy. Also known as continuous positive airway pressure, this form of therapy is drug and surgery-free, and it’s designed to stop the gasping and breathing interruptions caused by the disorder.

Therapy happens when machines deliver air via CPAP masks and soft tubing (and other CPAP accessories). Today’s best CPAP machines are affordable, dependable and designed to be very easy to use.

By delivering pure and pressurized air where it is needed most, all night long, CPAP machines work their magic, allowing users to experience deep and healing rest that wipes out daytime fatigue and minimizes other, long-term health risks associated with obstructive sleep apnea, such as diabetes and heart problems.