Symptoms Of Sleep Disorders

The most obvious symptom of a sleep disorder is difficulty falling or staying asleep. While most of us have an odd stormy night of sleep, frequent episodes of poor sleep can impact your health and adversely affect your life.

Sleep disorders are tricky to diagnose because there is a difference between a few bad nights’ sleep and a sleep disorder; generally, disorders are diagnosed when changes in the way you sleep happen for more than eight weeks.

Additionally, some sleep disorders have different symptoms. This article covers everything you need to know to help you resolve your problems.

Common sleep disorder symptoms

Here are the symptoms of common sleep disorders:

• Insomnia: You have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. You lie in bed and close your eyes, but your brain won’t shut off.
• Sleep apnea: You have abnormal patterns in your breathing while sleeping, such as loud snoring, episodes in which you stop breathing, and gasping for air.
• Restless legs syndrome (RLS): You have an uncomfortable sensation in your legs that forces you to keep moving and shifting your legs.
• Sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD): Your sleep is delayed by two or more hours past your regular bedtime, interrupting your body clock.
• Narcolepsy: You feel extreme sleepiness during the day, struggle to stay awake, and can fall asleep suddenly, sometimes without warning.

The most common sleep disorders are insomnia and sleep apnea, so we’ll focus on these below with symptoms, causes, and treatments.

Types of insomnia 

There are three main types of insomnia:

• Transient insomnia (less than one week)
• Acute insomnia (short term, up to three months)
• Chronic insomnia (long term, months, and years)

Transient insomnia is the most common, usually caused by recent stresses and anxieties; it resolves itself following a period of reduced stress.

Acute insomnia is the next step up, lasting up to three months; it is usually triggered by a very stressful event, like the death of a loved one or physical trauma. If it doesn’t go away within a few months, it can become chronic.

Chronic insomnia can indicate underlying physical or neurological problems, and it rarely goes away on its own. Depression and anxiety disorders are the most common reasons for chronic insomnia, which is more common in women.

Treatments

Taking vitamin B12 supplements for more than two weeks can increase melatonin (sleep hormone) levels, helping kick-start your body’s circadian rhythm. This clinical review shows that increasing melatonin levels can improve insomnia.

Short-term relief is offered with prescribed sleep-inducing medication and antidepressants, but medicating is not a long-term solution.

Behavioural therapy (CBT) and sleep restriction to reset the body clock are effective treatments for chronic insomnia.

Types of apnea

There are three main types of apnea:

• Central (neurological)
• Obstructive (airway)
• Complex (neurological and airway)

Central apnea occurs when the brain doesn’t send the correct signals to muscles that control breathing. Conditions and injuries that affect the brainstem can cause central apnea. Stroke and some medications like Barbiturates can also cause central apnea. 

Obstructive apnea is caused by an upper airway obstruction -- the muscles that support the soft tissues in the throat relax, narrowing the airway.

Complex apnea combines central apnea and obstructive apnea. The neurological side of the disorder amplifies symptoms of the physical side.

Treatments

While central apnea is sometimes idiopathic (where doctors can’t identify the cause), it is often linked to heart conditions and stroke.

Obstructive apnea is easier to diagnose and treat using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral appliances, medications, and surgery.

Complex apnea is treatable with the same measures as obstructive apnea, but the neurological side of the disorder is harder to treat. The aetiology is not understood, so doctors work to resolve physical symptoms before looking at the neurological side. 

When to get professional help

Poor sleep is a serious health concern, so if you are struggling to sleep, you should see your GP as soon as possible. Your GP can diagnose your sleep disorder and prescribe medication, or they might refer you to a sleep specialist (somnologist)

Related Pages

• Insomnia and B12 deficiency – what does the science say?
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