by Dr. Serge Gregoire
Sleep is a vital part of our physical and mental well-being but unfortunately, thousands of people suffer from a variety of sleep disorders. Some can be very mild and barely noticed by the effected person such as snoring or grinding of the teeth while asleep. Others can be much more severe and even dangerous such as the type of sleep disorders that interfere with breathing or that cause a person to fall asleep at random times beyond their control.
Symptoms:
Disorder sleep symptoms can range from small, minor symptoms to much more severe and troublesome. Here is a list of some of the more common sleep disorders and their symptoms.
Restless Leg Syndrome: As the name suggests this disorder is characterized by involuntary jerky leg movements that can make falling asleep difficult.
Bruxism: This disorder involves a clenching of the jaw or grinding your teeth while you are asleep and is often not noticed by the person suffering from the disorder
Sleepwalking: Perhaps one of the most well-known sleep disorders, this disorder sleep symptom involves walking or performing other routine activities such as getting dressed or making breakfast while in a sleep state. Again, the sleepwalker is unaware of their actions.
Narcolepsy: One of the more serious and dangerous of the sleep disorders; those who suffer from Narcolepsy may fall asleep while performing regular activities such as talking or driving. It is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to sleep regardless of how much rest you may have gotten the night before.
Insomnia: Restlessness or an inability to fall asleep. This can be mild and occasional or severe and reoccurring.
Sleep Apnea: This is one of the other more worrisome of the sleep disorders. This disorder’s sleep symptom can be somewhat frightening since it involves a pause or a stop in breathing while asleep.
These are but just a handful of the some of the more widely known sleep disorders; however, there are dozens of others that you may want to learn about.
Causes:
Sleep disorders stem from a variety of causes including physical pain such as back pain, pain from a recent injury, neck pain, and headaches. Stress and anxiety can also be leading causes of sleep disorders. Hormonal changes due to pregnancy, the onset of menopause, or menstruation can also be factors that interfere with normal sleep. The side effects of various medications can lead to sleep disorders as can some medical conditions such as sciatica and endocrine imbalances. Environmental noise and distractions can also be culprits in stealing your sleep.
Treatments:
Sleep disorders have a variety of treatments from using aromatherapy oils blended to aid sleep, for example by using one of the sleep mists that you can spray your linens with before you go to bed to help you relax. A variety of herbal remedies using chamomile and other herbs can be effective. When stress and anxiety are causing the disorder’s sleep symptom, learning relaxation and stress management techniques can often have a great effect on your ability to get much needed sleep. Some disorders are more severe and may require medication and treatment by a physician. So if you feel that you are suffering from a sleep disorder and one of the standard remedies do not seem to help, consult your healthcare provider.
