There are several different types of sleeping disorders that can affect a person's health. Most are temporary when diagnosed and can be treated. Sleeping disorders can create sleepiness during the daytime when most people are expected to be awake. It can affect their personality, relationships, heart rate and create other health problems. while the body sleeps, it regenerates. Skin cells, bone and muscle growth, metabolism and heart function are all slowed or stopped by lack of sleep. During rest, the body is able to fight of infections and heal itself. Sleeping disorders can do more than make someone feel tired during the day, they can be a detriment to healthy living.
A sleeping disorder is when the body is unable to obtain normal resting patterns over a prolonged period of time. The two most common types are insomnia and sleep apnea. The symptoms sometimes appear the same, although the causes and treatments are often very different.
Insomnia
Perhaps the most well known of all sleeping disorders, insomnia is the body's inability to fall asleep. It may be caused by consuming too much caffeine, stress, over-stimulation of the brain or disruption by exterior causes. Drinking too much coffee or soda too late in the day is one of the most common causes. This can be solved by cutting back or eliminating caffeine from the diet altogether. Muscle relaxants or sedatives can help those overly stressed out due to excessive worry, work-related or family life situations. While this is a short-term fix, the long-term solution is to resolve the issues. External causes that keep people awake may include noise disturbances from trains or motor vehicles, loud neighbors or physical discomfort. Observing, evaluating and adjusting the bed or sleeping arrangements may prove helpful in solving the problem of insomnia. Repeated use of sleeping pills should be avoided, as it is known to be addictive.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is the disruption of breathing during slumber. Most people who have it are unaware of it. They simply find themselves the victims of a restless night's sleep. It is often discovered either through a sleep clinic or with the addition of a sleeping companion who may notice that the individual stops breathing during the night. These apnea episodes occur up to 20 times per night and cause a disruption of oxygen to the brain. The body will wake itself up in an effort to continue breathing, although the individual may be unaware of the condition or disruption. Once diagnosed, sleep apnea can be treated in a number of ways. One involves the continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP). The patient wears a CPAP mask connected to an oxygen machine which forces air into the airway, allowing the person to breathe. While the CPAP machine takes some getting used to, a proper fit and prolonged sleep will outweigh the inconvenience of the medical apparatus.
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