A sleep disorder is a condition that frequently impacts your ability to get enough quality sleep. Most people occasionally experience sleeping problems due to stress, hectic schedules, and other outside influences. 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. Symptoms of sleep disorders include being very sleepy during the daytime and having trouble falling asleep at night, irritability or anxiety, daytime fatigue, depression and lack of concentration.
Types of common Sleep disorders
1. Insomnia: is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling and/or staying asleep.
2. Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in which your breathing temporarily stops during sleep, awakening you frequently.
3. Parasomnias: are a class of sleep disorders that cause abnormal movements and behaviors during sleep.
4. Restless legs syndrome (RLS): is a sleep disorder that causes an almost irresistible urge to move your legs at night.
5. Narcolepsy: is a sleep disorder that involves excessive, uncontrollable daytime sleepiness.
Sleep Disorders Treatment
There are psychological and behavioral techniques that can be helpful for treating insomnia.
- Relaxation training: also known as progressive muscle relaxation, teaches the person to systematically tense and relax muscles in different areas of the body.
- Stimulus control: helps to build an association between the bedroom and sleep by limiting the type of activities allowed in the bedroom.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): works to challenge unhealthy beliefs and fears around sleep and teach rational, positive thinking.
