Coping With Sleep Disorders

A sleep disorder is generically defined as any occurrence which affects the pattern of sleep of a specific person. There is a large variety of different sleep disorders and each one has the ability to affect different people in different ways as well as present different characteristics that are associated with that particular condition. As a result of this the treatment options for these sleep disorders are also largely dependent on the person who is affected and to what degree the person is affected as well as what particular sleep disorder is thought to be the cause of the problem.

To date there has been a diagnosis of over one hundred different sleep disorders however these are all typically categorized into four basic groups as outlined below:
Sleep rhythm disruptions are classified as any individual who is unable to follow a specific pattern of sleep

Insomnia indicates a person’s inability to fall asleep or remain asleep
Sleep disruptive behaviors are described as a person who exhibits unusual actions or behaviors while they are asleep

Excess daytime sleepiness is categorized by individuals are unable to stay awake during regular daily activities even when they are not tired

There are many problems that may lead to a person being affected by insomnia and this is considered to be one of the most common of sleep disorders. This condition can include the presence of such symptoms as difficulty falling asleep, waking up numerous times throughout the night or premature waking. In people who are affected by insomnia it can continue for short periods of time or last for excessively long periods of times as well.

Some factors that are thought to have an impact on the development of sleep disorders such as insomnia include depression, anxiety, stress, excessive consumption of caffeine and excessive exposure to light or noise.

When sleep disorders are associated with a person’s inability to remain awake they are typically known as hypersomnias. These are generally caused by such conditions as sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome.

In situations where sleep disorders are caused by a person’s inability to keep to a specific pattern or routine it is often due to that person frequently changing when and how they sleep. Some examples that may be prone to develop this type of sleep disorder include individuals who frequently travel between time zones and others whose jobs require changing back and forth from one shift to another. Generally individuals in this group can sleep less than average and still feel as if they slept all night.

Parasomnia is an example of exhibiting unusual actions or behaviors during sleep such as sleep walking or night terrors and can actually result in injury if severe enough.

Some things that have been suggested to improve these conditions include implementing a regular bed time and sticking to it, regular exercise and a quiet place to sleep with little or no outside noise or light as these things tend to distract a person from sleep.