“I think I’m sleeping too much,” said no adult ever.
“Wake up! It’s time for work!” shouts your spouse, but you realise then that you’ve not slept a wink. Sounds close to home.
If you have difficulty sleeping, know that you’re not alone. In a recent Sleep Index study conducted by The National Sleep Foundation, it was revealed that 35% of adults suffer from sleep deprivation, while 25% reported that they did not have a refreshed sleep at least once a week.
Even with this alarming data set, more adults are increasingly getting less sleep than recommended. 7-8 hours of sleep is a guideline to help your body recuperate and repair any damages done to your body during the day like shedding the unused skin layer. The lesser the amount of sleep you get, the higher the chances of catching illnesses like the common cold.
In this article, you’ll be able to identify which sleeping disorder types you might have and methods on how you can manage them to claim your sleepless nights!
*Legal: This article is for information purposes only and cannot be used as a diagnosis. Please proceed to your nearest physician to get official diagnosis if you think you have these symptoms!
Insomnia
We’re not referring to Craig David’s Insomnia song, but the situation where you’re unable to sleep for days. Insomnia is defined as someone experiencing difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep throughout the night or waking up too early in the morning. It usually lasts for a few days or weeks, but chronic and serious insomnia cases can go on for months at a time. The main causes of insomnia are high-stress levels, medication and even anxiety or depression.
According to the Sleep Disorder Unit of the Singapore General Hospital, “patients with persistent insomnia should be evaluated by a physician to rule out underlying depression”.
While medication can be prescribed to combat insomnia, it should only be done as the very last resort. Instead, a simple modification of lifestyle should be the first change made, such as
- limiting caffeine intake close to your bedtime
- minimising the usage of mobile phones before bedtime
- restriction of day-time sleep (aka napping).
Using your phone, or smart watch to keep logs of your sleeping patterns may help you to get a sense of your sleeping patterns, and can be a good starting point to achieving 8 hours of sleep, every night.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a sleeping disorder where breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep, as defined by National Sleep Foundation. This is a situation when the muscles in the back of your throat fail to keep the airway open, despite efforts to breathe. There are 2 types of sleep apnea.
- Central Sleep Apnea- where the brain is unable to properly control breathing during sleep, and;
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea is another and the most common form of sleep apnea. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, sleepiness during the day, morning headaches and excessively loud snoring. Once symptoms have been identified, it is best to see your primary care physician. Bringing along your sleep diary will help the physicians to identify the fatigue level you’ve been having throughout the day and any other related symptoms and provide you with the best medical care possible.
The most common and effective treatment of choice for sleep apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP), which is a mask that fits over the nose and/or mouth and gently blows air into the airway to keep it open during sleep. It may be challenging for your sleeping partner, but prevents bigger problems in the future like high blood pressure, heart attack and congestive heart failure, it’s still the best solution.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
Also known as Ekbom Syndrome and Willis-Ekbom Disease, the Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) causes unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. It’s easily identified as a “pins and needles” sensation in sleep and can be a painful deterrent to sleep. RLS is not a form of sleep paralysis, as it is sometimes confused with. It affects 10% of the population; being more common in women.
Experts aren’t certain as to what causes RLS but theorise that it’s likely to be hereditary. RLS often occurs in the evening or during periods of rest. Dr. Neubauer says that those who have RLS can kick or move hundreds of times a night, every single night.
The best treatment of RLS is to make some lifestyle modifications which includes maintaining a consistent sleep routine, keeping the bedroom dark, quiet and cool, keeping electronics and other distractions from the bedroom; and avoiding lying in bed awake for long periods of time. If you’re sensitive to sound when you’re sleeping, it also helps to invest in sleeping earplugs to keep your sleeping environment quiet. It’s simple to say that good and healthy sleeping habits are the best sleeping tips anyone can give you.
If you’ve encountered any of these sleeping disorders, don’t fret. The first thing you should do is monitor your sleeping patterns for 3-7 days before visiting the doctor. This will help the doctors eliminate sleep monitoring as a treatment for you, and instead help you to focus on finding the solution to your sleeping disorder.