Trying to understand sleep disorders can be asking for paranoia. Considering how much sleep can vary, it's easy to convince ourselves that we aren't doing it right — particularly considering that symptoms like fatigue and moodiness are used to diagnose sleep disorders. "People are going to have some variability, night-to-night and day-to-day in both how they sleep and how they feel during the day," says Dr. Joseph Ojile, CEO and founder of Clayton Sleep Institute in St. Louis and diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicine . "That's okay. That isn't necessarily a disorder or a disease."

We want to avoid going overboard when it comes to discussing sleep problems but they are a common issue, particularly insomnia. Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms that might mean you have one.

Definition Of A Sleep Disorder

We've all been sleeping our whole lives but it can still be surprisingly difficult. Stress, illness, late-nights, and all kinds of things we don't even notice can contribute to poor-quality rest. If these restless nights happen occasionally, that's not reason for concern. If they go on for months, however, the situation may have crossed the line into sleep disorder territory. Aside from feeling tired, some less obvious indicators of a sleep disorder may include memory problems, emotional outburst, and slow reactions.

When It's Your Fault

Bad sleep hygiene is a major problem for most people. In reality, we should be keeping a consistent sleep schedule but our desire to sleep in on weekends gets in the way. It can be helpful to think about sleep in a way similar to how we think about diet and exercise. All of these parts of our life are interconnected and they can all have far-reaching effects. That includes turning off electronics well before bedtime; never eating right before bed; skipping nighttime snacking; giving yourself ample time to unwind; and exercising daily. The list of best sleep practices is a little lengthy but the suggestions are not all that surprising and following them can pay off big.

You Always Have Trouble Falling (or Staying) Asleep

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. About 10 percent of the population has it. We all know that insomnia involves difficulty falling or staying asleep but Ojile adds that, by strict definition, insomnia also results in daytime consequences. So, just because you toss and turn before going off to dreamland, doesn't mean it's insomnia. It's also important to understand that some people just don't need as much sleep as they try to get, so they may have a hard time falling asleep.

Choking And Gasping

A common sleep disorder is obstructive sleep apnea, which is characterized by breathing that starts and stops during sleep, often due to muscles relaxing and blocking the airway. Snoring is a common sign of sleep apnea but can occur without the disorder as well.
Choking and gasping during sleep is a clearer sign of sleep apnea. Daytime consequences are fairly hard to pinpoint — things many of us would blame on boredom. "If you're in a meeting or you're watching a movie or you're attending a lecture that's not that scintillating and you fall asleep, that's not normal," says Ojile.

Disruptive, Irresistible Movements

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that can lead to an irresistible urge to move your legs, which often gets worse when a person is relaxing or resting. People describe the feeling of RLS in various ways, including creeping, twitching, and unpleasant discomfort. There is currently no test for RLS, so it's diagnosed by evaluation. Sleep-related treatments for RLS generally include practicing good sleep hygiene and specific medications under a physician's care.

You Act Out Your Dreams

As people get older, they become more likely to act out their dreams. This can involve getting up and walking, climbing, and even hitting. Aside from affecting sleep, this disorder can be downright dangerous. Acting out dreams is not a common sleep disorder but it isn't uncommon either. "For us, doing sleep medicine, we see patients with this literally every week," says Ojile. Treating this issue usually requires the use of medication.

Loss Of Muscle Tone And Function

Unlike many of these others, narcolepsy is less common than people often think, affecting about 1 in 2,000 people. People with narcolepsy have poor quality sleep at night and are very sleepy during the day.
This can result in cataplexy, one of the better known symptoms of narcolepsy. Cataplexy is a sudden and temporary loss of muscle tone and function, which is brought on by high emotion such as laughter, pleasure, and anger. Edgar Allen Poe's "The Premature Burial" is likely a story of someone with narcolepsy.

What To Do About Sleep Problems

Overall, most sleep disorders are addressed with straightforward interventions that can improve someone's quality of life significantly. Many people who have sleep disorders (or just less-than-optimal sleep) can benefit from improving their sleep hygiene practices. Some conditions, however, like acting out dreams and narcolepsy often require medication. Serious cases of sleep apnea may call for the use of medical devices or even surgery.

Author: TAYLOR KUBOTA

Source: www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/signs-you-might-have-a-sleep-disorder-20150504

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