What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?
Symptoms of common sleep disorders vary based on the type, but could include:
- Difficulty falling asleep or it takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep regularly.
- Trouble staying asleep through the night or you wake up often in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep.
- Snoring, gasping or choking happens during sleep.
- Feeling like you need to move when you relax. Movement relieves this feeling.
- Feeling like you can’t move when you wake up.
During the daytime, you may experience additional signs and symptoms caused by a lack of adequate sleep including:
- Daytime sleepiness; you take frequent daytime naps or fall asleep while doing routine tasks.
- Behavioral changes like difficulty focusing or paying attention.
- Mood changes like irritability and trouble managing your emotions.
- Difficulty meeting deadlines or performance expectations during school or work.
- Frequent accidents or falls.
If you feel like you’re not able to get a good night’s rest or have symptoms that interfere with your daytime activities, talk to a healthcare provider.
What causes sleep disorders?
A disruption to your body’s cycle of sleep and daytime wakefulness causes sleep disorders. Specific things may cause this to happen and it varies based on the type of sleep disorder you have. They may include:
- A symptom of a medical condition like heart disease, asthma, pain or a nerve condition.
- A symptom of a mental health condition like depression or anxiety disorder.
- Genetic factors (a mutation).
- A side effect of a medication.
- Working the night shift.
- Substance use before bedtime like caffeine or alcohol.
- Low levels of certain chemicals or minerals in the brain.
- An unknown cause.
What are the risk factors for sleep disorders?
You may be more at risk of sleep disorders if you:
- Have an underlying health condition.
- Experience stress.
- Work late shifts.
- Have a history of sleep disorders in your biological family.
Research suggests that women and people assigned female at birth are more likely to experience sleep disorders than men and people assigned male at birth.
In addition, about half of all adults over the age of 65 have a type of sleep disorder.
What happens if I don’t get enough sleep?
If you don’t get the proper amount or quality of sleep that your body needs, it can affect you beyond feeling tired during the daytime. A lack of adequate sleep can lead to:
- Difficulty learning, remembering or making decisions.
- Personality changes like irritability.
- Lower reaction times (making accidents more likely to happen).
Sleep loss can also contribute to the development of health conditions like:
- Depression.
- Obesity.
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Heart disease.
- Dementia.
While rare, some sleep disorders can be life-threatening.
