Sleep disorders are conditions that result in changes in the way that you sleep.
A sleep disorder can affect your overall health, safety, and quality of life. Sleep deprivation can
affect your ability to drive safely and increase your risk of other health problems.
Some of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness,
irregular breathing, or increased movement during sleep. Other signs and symptoms include an
irregular sleep and wake cycle and difficulty falling asleep.
There are many different types of sleep disorders. They are often grouped into categories that
explain why they happen or how they affect you. Sleep disorders can also be grouped according
to behaviors, problems with your natural sleep-wake cycles, breathing problems, difficulty
sleeping, or how sleepy you feel during the day.
Some common types of sleep disorders include:
– Insomnia, in which you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night.
– Sleep apnea, in which you experience abnormal breathing patterns while asleep. There
are several types of sleep apnea.
– Restless legs syndrome (RLS), is a type of sleep movement disorder. Restless legs
syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, causes an uncomfortable sensation and an
urge to move the legs while you try to fall asleep.
– Narcolepsy is a condition characterized by extreme sleepiness during the day and falling
asleep suddenly during the day.
There are many ways to help diagnose sleep disorders. Doctors can usually treat most sleep
disorders effectively once they’re correctly diagnosed.
Treatment
Changing your sleep habits and addressing any issues that may be associated with insomnia,
such as stress, medical conditions, or medications, can restore restful sleep for many people.
If these measures don’t work, your doctor may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy,
medications, or both, to help improve relaxation and
