Sleep Disturbance

We’ve all been experiencing this: lying sleepless at night, gazing at the roof, inadequate to sleep. It’s a feeling that’s certainly unpleasant, especially if you have to wake up early the next morning for work or school. Sleep disorders are a common problem for many people, although it can sometimes be hard to tell if your sleepless nights can be classified as a disorder or just a circumstantial fluke. Several disorders cause sleepless nights by affecting your sleep health and stealing your sweet dreams away. Below are many of the most common of these sleep problems — their symptoms and effects, so you can see if any apply to you.

Insomnia

Insomnia is the most common of the disorders, and it is probably a name you recognize right away. Symptoms of insomnia include the chronic inability to fall asleep and a prohibitive difficulty in getting back to sleep if you wake up in the night. You may also have insomnia if you keep waking up throughout the night after you have fallen asleep. This lack of rest will lead to drowsiness the next day, yet when you go to lay your head on the pillow after the day is done, you find that you still cannot sleep. If you find yourself taking over-the-counter drugs every single night just to get some rest, it’s possible that you may have insomnia.

Narcolepsy

Another lesser-known disorder is narcolepsy, which triggers excessive and obstinately daytime sleepiness. Everyone gets a tad weary during the day — it’s normal (and even healthy) to want to nap. Narcolepsy goes beyond that occasional tiredness and can cause “sleep attacks” even in broad daylight when you’re at work or school. You may feel weak and lose control while laughing or experiencing strong emotions, as though you’re going to sleep right when you’re emotional. You also might have intense dreams right after you close your eyes, or don’t feel fully awake when you open them, maybe even causing sensory hallucination in your drowsiness.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome is a disorder that can feel uncontrollable for some people, leading to urges to move your legs and arms when you’re asleep, keeping you awake even if you’re dead tired. Symptoms include strange feelings in your legs that make you move them uncontrollably, jerking your legs or arms while asleep, or feeling an odd tingling sensation that feels slightly better when you move them, yet returns once you hold still.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders

These disorders are more environmental; if you are working the late shift, experiencing jet lag, or encountering other circumstances that force you to be awake when you would otherwise be asleep, it can lead to trouble falling asleep and staying awake at normal times. If you have such a disorder, you will need to re-regulate your body and get back onto a healthy sleep schedule/rhythm.

Sleep Apnea

Another common disorder is sleep apnea, which occurs when your upper airway passages are blocked, causing you to briefly stop breathing while sleeping. It’s a frightening experience and one that has kept many awake as a result. It can be a serious disorder, and even, in some drastic cases, life-threatening, as any depletion of oxygen can have serious consequences. Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, choking, gasping, and frequent pauses while sleeping. Your breathing may even be ragged and uneven. This disruption to proper airflow could be caused by something as simple as position or posture, and a memory foam mattress like the Lull Mattress could be all it takes to keep your airways clear and straight.

These disorders are common and experienced by many people. Whether you think you may have a disorder or you just have gotten out of rhythm, make sure you consult your doctor to get you back on track.