If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, visit a family doctor, a mental health professional, or a sleep disorder clinic. Treatment options include sleep medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, which teaches how to identify and modify behaviors that perpetuate sleep problems. Common sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy. Insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy can affect how long it takes to fall asleep, while sleep apnea can negatively affect your sleep quality.
According to recent statistics, up to a third of adults live with some form of insomnia. Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects sleep and wakefulness control. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the day. These sudden sleep attacks can occur during any type of activity at any time of the day. Some patients with narcolepsy experience sudden muscle weakness with laughter or other emotions.
Sleep-wake disorders occur in people whose circadian rhythms are misaligned, making them feel alert and tired at abnormal times of the day. Children with sleep disorders have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep all night. Some children with sleep disorders experience anxiety, including night terrors.
Having an irregular sleep-wake cycle is another symptom of sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are conditions that affect the quality or quantity of your sleep. They are grouped into categories such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up often at night, waking up too early, daytime fatigue, difficulty breathing while sleeping, and muscle movements during sleep. This article covers the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of eight common sleep disorders.
Proper management of sleep disorders requires the efforts of an interpersonal health care team. The consultation can help evaluate patients for medical and psychiatric causes of insomnia. The management team consists of a psychiatrist, neurologist, pulmonologist, sleep medicine specialist, dietitian and nurse to coordinate care and follow-up. Surgical consultations are required for some of the underlying causes of insomnia, such as in cases of OSA, which may require palate surgery.
Consult your healthcare provider if you are concerned about your sleep patterns. Other common sleep disorders include sleep apnea, sleepwalking, and narcolepsy. Restless legs syndrome and bruxism are conditions that can also contribute to sleep disorders. Central sleep apnea occurs when breathing temporarily stops for 10 seconds or more often during a night’s sleep. This is caused by an abnormality in the brain, which prevents it from regulating oxygen levels and automatically activating breathing.
Modafinil and CNS stimulants are used as alarming agents in patients with narcolepsy. Symptoms of cataplexy are treated with REM suppressants such as tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine 20 mg to 60 mg per day and sertraline 25 mg to 50 mg per day. Sodium oxybate is a newer drug that can be a first-line agent for the armodafinil waklert treatment of cataplexy. This drug also improves sleep quality and reduces excessive daytime sleepiness. The use of sodium oxybate is strictly regulated due to its potential for abuse. It is only available by prescription through a limited distribution program called the “Xyrem Success Program.” The effective dose range of sodium oxybate is 6-9 g / d taken at night.