Sleeping Disorder Specialist

What is a sleep disorder?

A sleep disorder is a condition which affects the length and/or the quality of a person’s sleep, inferring with their daily life. Typically, the average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep but some people may need less or more. Many things can affect how much sleep we get and how restful the sleep is. Bad habits or medical conditions are just a few examples. When left untreated, sleep disorders can be very dangerous and destructive to a person’s health. Sleep disorders including conditions such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and snoring.

What are symptoms associated with sleep disordered?

Symptoms will depend on which disorder the person has, however, they commonly include:

• Snoring
• Breathing stops briefly when asleep
• Extreme sleepiness during the day
• Difficulty falling and/or staying asleep
• Uncomfortable feelings in legs and the urge to move when settling down for bed

What conditions are considered sleep disorders?

Some sleep disorders include:

• Insomnia- the inability to fall or stay asleep which persists night after night. This can also include waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep.
• Sleep apnea- breathing stops briefly while sleeping and cause the person to go from deep to light sleep. This makes the person very sleepy during the day.
• Restless Leg Syndrome- the irresistible urge to move the legs when trying to sleep. Many describe it as a tingling, “creepy-crawly” feeling.
• Narcolepsy- when a person suddenly falls asleep without any control.
• Sleepwalking- unconsciously getting up and walking around while asleep and being completely unaware of it.

Why is sleep important?

Many people do not realize how important it is to get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. When deadlines arise, whether at home, work, or school, some people end up “pulling an all-nighter” to make time to get everything done. Unfortunately, studies have shown that this is quite possibly the worst thing a person can do. Shorting yourself on sleep can cause concentration issues, drowsiness, and irritability which affect the way a person functions throughout the day. What’s worse, if staying awake for too long becomes habitual, the side effects can be extremely detrimental to one’s health. Long-term effects can include:

• Increased risk of diabetes and breast cancer
• High blood pressure
• Weakened immune system
• Major depression
• Obesity