Trouble Sleeping Through the Night? Signs You Have a Sleep Disorder

According to the CDC, the average adult needs at least seven hours of sleep per night. While most American adults do get adequate sleep, roughly one-third do not. Many others get several hours of sleep, but still feel tired in the morning.

Many of those who have trouble sleeping through the night or feeling rested also meet the qualifications for a sleep disorder. This raises the question of what a sleep disorder actually is. Also, how can you tell if you have a sleep disorder?

We’ll talk bout some of the most common sleep disorders and their symptoms in this article.

Insomnia

The most straightforward of sleep disorders, and what most people think of when sleep disorders are mentioned. Described as difficulty falling and staying asleep, insomnia is officially the most common sleep disorder.

Symptoms of insomnia include trouble sleeping, as well as waking up at night or too early in the morning. This lack of adequate sleep will take a toll on your daily life, causing frequent grumpiness and difficulties with various tasks.

While there’s no guaranteed cure for insomnia, therapy and healthy lifestyle changes often do the trick.

Sleep Apnea

Another of the most common sleep disorders, sleep apnea, occurs when a person’s airways are obstructed during sleep. Sleep apnea symptoms include breathing issues which can wake the person up multiple times during the night and prevent restful sleep. It also tends to cause horrendous snoring.

Even if the person doesn’t wake up during the night, they might still wake up tired because we need oxygen to function. Without enough oxygen, our bodies are prone to fatigue.

The good news is that there are doctors who specialize in treating sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, and you can find one of them at https://daltonsleep.com/about-us/. There are also things you can do at home to treat sleep apnea, such as losing weight and getting  a CPAP machine.

Narcolepsy

If you have narcolepsy, you probably know it, or at the very least know something is wrong with your sleep patterns. Narcolepsy is best described as a difficulty regulating when you fall asleep.

People with narcolepsy often fall asleep suddenly, and usually, only stay asleep for a few minutes. While randomly falling asleep is the most obvious symptom of narcolepsy, it isn’t the only symptom. People with narcolepsy also report muscular issues like sudden weakness or sleep paralysis, as well as vivid hallucinations immediately before falling asleep or after waking up.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for narcolepsy. However, the symptoms can be lessened with treatment. The first step is to get tested for sleeping disorder such as narcolepsy.

Sleeping Through the Night: How to Tell If You Have a Sleeping Disorder

Difficulty sleeping through the night is one of the telltale symptoms of a sleep disorder. However, there are a lot of different symptoms to watch out for. We’ve discussed some of these symptoms and how to tell if you have a sleep disorder in this article, but there’s always more to learn.

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