Many people struggle with sleep disorders and here we examine three and look at solutions to help you get a better nights sleep.
Having quality sleep for around 8 hours every night is essential to maintain good health. During sleep, the body goes into restore mode and renews cells that make up the immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems. Without this time for restoration, our mood, memory, and cognitive function would deteriorate.
Some people struggle to get a good night’s sleep each night as they suffer from a diagnosed sleep disorder. Here are 3 common sleep disorders and how to remedy them.
Insomnia and common sleep disorders
Insomnia is when a person struggles to fall asleep and stay asleep. You may experience sleep disorders including insomnia if you have too much on your mind and are stressed or anxious about something. You will find that you will lie awake worrying about these issues, and if you do manage to fall asleep, you will frequently wake throughout the night.
Suppose you have consumed drinks such as coffee or cola high in caffeine before bed. In that case, you will struggle to fall asleep, so it’s best to have a warm glass of milk at bedtime as drinking milk can increase tryptophan, which is a precursor for the feel-good hormone known as serotonin. Eating a large meal before bed isn’t a good idea either as you can feel very uncomfortable and develop indigestion which will prevent you from falling into a relaxing sleep.
In order to fight insomnia and other sleep disorders, you can do several things to create an optimal atmosphere for sleep. A comfortable mattress is the most crucial ingredient in the recipe for perfect sleep. Buy a Ghost Bed memory foam mattress here, which will provide you will the ideal surface for a blissful sleep.
The foam layers will support your body correctly and is free from lumps and bumps that may protrude and poke you. Ensure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature as extreme cold or heat will affect your ability to drift off.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing becomes abnormal during sleep – it will stop for extended periods. This sleep disorder can be very serious as when breathing stops, the body becomes starved of oxygen. A sufferer will be at higher risk of developing cardiovascular problems such as heart disease, strokes, heart attack, and high blood pressure. There are three types of this condition – Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), and Mixed Sleep Apnea.
OSA occurs when the airways become blocked when a person is sleeping. This blockage may be caused by bodily features such as the size and positioning of a person’s tonsils, jaw, neck, and tongue. If a person is obese, their chances of developing this condition are high as the weight pressing on airways during sleep can cause the tissue to collapse. It has been observed that heavy smokers suffer from OSA at a higher rate than non-smokers.
Central Sleep Apnea is usually connected to an underlying health condition that has affected the brain somehow, such as a brain tumor, stroke, or infection. When these conditions damage the brain, it cannot communicate properly with muscles used for breathing, and it cannot perceive the levels of carbon dioxide present in the body properly, causing the body’s breathing to become slow and shallow. This condition must be treated by a doctor who can manage the underlying illnesses.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes such as weight loss, quitting smoking, and lying on your side when sleeping rather than your back to prevent tissue collapse in the air passages.
Breathing affects sleep. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy treats sleep apnea by enabling patients to breathe properly without obstruction, helping them sleep peacefully. Aside from deciding which CPAP machine to buy, it’s essential to choose a suitable CPAP mask: a nasal mask, nasal pillow, or full-face style. The right mask style can enhance one’s experience with CPAP.
Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking occurs when a person is in a deep sleep. During sleepwalking, a person may get out of bed and walk around. In extreme cases, a person can leave their home and start performing complex activities such as driving a car. Sleepwalking is most common in young children, and the exact cause for it isn’t clear, although it is thought to be linked to stress and anxiety, illness and fever, and extreme tiredness.
Recreational and prescription drugs such as sedatives may cause people to have a disturbed sleep where they will become physically active and sit up in bed or walk around. To prevent episodes of sleepwalking, it will help to establish a routine and go to bed at the same time every night. Try to relax by having a soothing bath before bed and refrain from watching TV or using a computer in bed. Make your bedroom as comfortable as possible by having it dark and at a comfortable temperature.
