Common Sleep Disorders
Over a third of the adult population has a sleep disorder. Insomnia alone affects 31% of the population, and 67% of people suffer from disrupted sleep.
Sleep problems affect a signification portion of people, and there are growing concerns that they are increasing post-pandemic.
The most typical sleep disorders are insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome, which have different causes and treatments. This article explores these sleep disorders to show what they are and potential therapies.
Let’s jump in!
Insomnia
Insomnia is the commonest sleep disorder, affecting nearly a third of the UK adult population. Insomnia is also prevalent in childhood, affecting around 11% of teenagers aged 13 to 16 years and 17% aged 12 to 18.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is the inability to sleep, defined by habitual wakefulness. When you have insomnia, you can’t go to sleep and lie awake all night.
Insomnia has three categories:
- Transient insomnia - lasts a few days or weeks
- Short-term insomnia - lasts a few months
- Chronic insomnia - lasts more than six months
What causes it?
With transient and short-term insomnia, stress, an irregular sleep schedule, poor sleeping habits, and anxiety are the most typical causes.
With long-term insomnia, the cause is less well-known, but low levels of the brain chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are a leading candidate.
How is it treated?
Short-term relief with non-addictive medications that make you drowsy can help. Some mild antidepressants like Mirtazapine can tire you, but only your GP can recommend medications, and they are not a permanent solution.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) helps change your approach to sleep and how you sleep. It identifies and replaces negative behaviours with positive ones and is proven to work effectively with most people.
Restless leg syndrome
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) affects between 5% and 10% of people in the UK, US, and Europe. It can develop at any age, but the risk increases as you get older. Around 35% of people with RLS say symptoms started before age 20.
What is RLS?
RLS is when you have an uncomfortable sensation in your legs that forces you to keep moving and shifting your legs. This tingling or crawling sensation can manifest as a painful burning sensation.
What causes it?
There are two types
- Primary – caused by a neurological condition
- Secondary – caused by an underlying health condition (e.g., iron deficiency)
In any case, RLS is caused by messages between the brain and nervous system breaking down, and in some cases, this can damage nerve cells.
How is it treated?
Symptoms are reducible with dopamine antagonists; these work by increasing dopamine levels in the body, which acts as a messenger between the brain and nervous system, helping to coordinate movement.
Elevating your legs can also help with mild symptoms. Walking more and stretching before bed can also reduce symptoms.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea affects around 1.5 million people in the UK, but double that number could be undiagnosed. It is more likely to affect men than women, with 2-5% of women and 3-7% of men having sleep apnea.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is when your breathing stops and starts while sleeping. When you have sleep apnea, you can stop breathing for 30 seconds.
There are three main types of apnea:
- Central (neurological)
- Obstructive (airway)
- Complex (neurological and airway)
What causes it?
Central apnea occurs when the brain doesn’t send the correct signals to muscles that control breathing.
Obstructive apnea is caused by upper airway obstruction, and complex apnea combines central apnea and obstructive apnea causes.
How is it treated?
Central apnea is linked to cardiovascular and neurological conditions, so medication that targets these can alleviate symptoms.
Obstructive apnea is treatable using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and oral appliances, although these don’t cure it.
Complex apnea is treatable the same as obstructive apnea, but the neurological side of the disorder is harder to treat, requiring medication tests.