Getting a good night’s sleep is important for your mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to fatigue, problems concentrating, moodiness, and feeling irritable.
Insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and sleepwalking are all sleep disorders that disrupt the quality of your sleep. Understanding their symptoms can help you get a diagnosis and treatment.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep. It can be short-term (acute insomnia) or chronic (chronic insomnia).
The problem may come and go for a few days or weeks, or it can last for months or even years. It’s usually the result of stress, a change in your routine or environment, or other health problems.
Sometimes insomnia can be linked to a medical condition, such as pain or medication, or a substance use disorder. It’s called primary insomnia if it has no other causes, and secondary insomnia if it can’t be explained by a medical issue, pain, or other symptoms.
Sleep apnea
When you have sleep apnea, your airways may become so obstructed that they stop working to allow you to breathe. This pause in breathing may happen hundreds of times per night and can interrupt your sleep.
A lack of oxygen triggers a survival reflex that wakes you up just enough to breathe again. But waking up can disrupt your restful sleep cycle and lead to serious health problems.
Getting diagnosed and treated is essential for your well-being. Treatments for sleep apnea range from lifestyle changes to mouthpieces and breathing devices, or even surgery. To treat excessive daytime sleepiness caused on by narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, and cataplexy, doctors have prescribed the wake-promoting medication Modalert 200 Australia.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a brain disorder that affects your sleep-wake cycle. The exact cause is unknown, but it may be due to a deficiency in the brain protein hypocretin.
Narcolepsy symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness. People with narcolepsy can feel so tired that they have an overwhelming urge to sleep, even during meals or work. Waklert Tablet, a sleep aid, can be used to treat sleep apnea patients who have excessive daytime sleepiness.
They may also have episodes of sleep paralysis when they lose the ability to move and talk as they fall asleep or wake up. These episodes typically last a few seconds to minutes, but can sometimes last for several minutes.
Narcolepsy is a chronic condition that can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes. There are also support groups and online resources for those living with narcolepsy.
Restless legs syndrome
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) causes uncomfortable sensations in your legs and an irresistible urge to move them. People with RLS experience these unpleasant feelings, usually at night when they are resting.
It’s more common in adults, but children can also develop it. Doctors don’t know what causes it, but your genes may play a role.
Your symptoms may get worse with age or if you have certain medical conditions. They may also become worse if you take certain drugs.
Your doctor can treat the condition with medications called dopamine agonists, which relax your muscles and make your RLS less severe. These drugs can also help you get to sleep.
