Sleep Disorders
Good sleep is important for the health of your body and brain. Both the quality and duration contribute to you feeling refreshed after waking up. In general a 6-8 hr sleep is adequate for most adults but some need less and some more hours of sleep to function properly throughout the day.
There are various functions that sleep fulfils apart from resting. Most body systems are in repair or build up stage during sleep. These include memory, mood, immunity, endocrine system, nervous system, muscular system. Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis increases everyone’s risk for mental health disorders, diabetes, obesity, relationship issues, memory and cognitive difficulties, a compromised immune system, cardiovascular problems, decreased productivity, and more.
Common sleep disorders include Insomnia (inadequate sleep), Hypersomnia(excessive sleep), Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Parasomnias and Circadian Rhythm Disorder.
Common symptoms of Sleep Disorders:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up multiple times during sleep
- Inability to go back to sleep if you wake up mid-sleep
- Day time drowsiness
- Excessive yawning
- Waking up with a headache
- Snoring
- Episodes of not breathing during sleep
- Nightmares
- Restlessness in legs
While everyone faces difficulty with sleep from time to time but when this becomes a regular thing, it can lead to mood symptoms like irritability and low mood, anxiety, attention and concentration deficits, anger etc.
Common causes of Sleep Disorders:
- Stress
- Jet lag
- Excitement about something
- Excessive caffeine intake (coffee, tea, colas)
- Black mirrors (laptop, phones, ipads etc)
- Poor sleep hygiene
- Overthinking
- Depression
- Anxiety
Conditions associated with untreated sleep disorders:
- Memory problems
- Inability to focus
- Concentration issues
- Inattention
- Easy irritability
- Depression
- Suicidal thoughts
- Panic attacks
- Road traffic accidents/ other accidents
- Frequent mistakes at work
- Relationship troubles
- Drug addiction