Sleep disorder is considered very common manifestations in medicine in general and in psychiatry in particular. They can seriously interfere with normal physical, mental, and social activities and have a major emotional impact.
In some cases, sleep disturbances can be a symptom of a medical condition or a condition of a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, etc.
And most of us when we face difficulties in life, then our sleep is often not good. So what is a sleep disorder? What are the causes, symptoms and treatment of this condition? Let’s find out with heresreview the following blog!
So what is a sleep disorder?
It is a condition where there is an abnormal change in the quality and duration of sleep, affecting physical and mental health, and reducing the patient’s quality of life. Many people have experienced many times the situation of having difficulty sleeping, not sleeping deeply, sleeping less, waking up, etc. But if it does not last long, it comes from external causes such as strong light, noise, stimulants, etc. like, … is not called a sleep disorder.
Sleep disturbances are often long-lasting, affecting the patient’s health with symptoms such as:
- Difficulty falling asleep.
- Constantly tired during the day and wanting midday naps.
- Unusual changes in sleep-wake habits or schedules.
- Lack of concentration, irritability and unusual anxiety.
- Reduce work productivity.
- Weight gain.
- Depression.
- Abnormal sleep behavior.
You can check yourself for a sleep disorder:
- To see if your sleep is disturbed. Try answering the following questions:
- Do you feel irritable, irritable or sleepy during the day?
- Can you maintain your sanity to work, watch TV or read a book?
- Do you feel tired and sleepy while working or driving?
- Do you find it difficult to concentrate?
- Are you irritable and difficult to control your emotions?
- Do others often say that you look tired and lackluster?
- You need to drink like coffee, tea, energy drinks to help you stay awake and work?
When do you need to see a doctor?
Symptoms of sleep disturbance persist or become severe
- You are often sleepy during the day and this greatly affects your work and life
- Others say that you gasp, choke, or stop breathing while you sleep.
- You fall asleep at inappropriate times such as while talking, walking, or eating.
Types of sleep disorder and causes
According to the state of sleep affected, sleep disorders are divided into several types, common such as:
Insomnia
Insomnia in each person can be different such as: poor quality of sleep, difficulty falling asleep, waking up many times during the night, waking up early, not having a feeling of deep sleep, sleeping completely,…
This is the most common sleep disorder, with 10-15% of the world’s population experiencing it at least once in their life. There are the following types of insomnia:
Temporary insomnia
Difficulty falling asleep, waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep, and possibly still feeling tired when you wake up. Insomnia can cause uncomfortable fatigue that seriously affects work performance and quality of life.
Secondary insomnia
Secondary insomnia can be caused by:
- Mental illness such as anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, addictions, manic episodes, paranoid states, confusion, etc.
- Physical causes of pain, affecting sleep such as: peptic ulcer, arthritis, urinary frequency, painful urination, frequent urination, prostate tumor, bronchitis, asthma, hyperactivity thyroid, diabetes, neuropathy, etc.
- In addition, insomnia can be a consequence of the abuse of harmful drugs and stimulants such as antidepressants, tobacco, coffee, cocaine, alcohol, etc.
Chronic insomnia
Often feels like he doesn’t sleep well for at least a month. And you will often feel tired all day. Others will sometimes have good nights of sleep interspersed with many sleepless nights.
Sleep a lot
Many people believe that sleeping a lot is not a sign of a sleep disorder. However, in many patients, the time to sleep at night and sleep a lot during the day, but still often in a state of drowsiness, dozing off, … This situation directly affects mental health and efficiency of work and study. practice during the day.
Insomnia is a more recognizable sleep disorder, and this excessive sleep is often overlooked and overlooked, making it difficult to treat. Causes of sleep disturbances but still make patients tired include:
Sleep apnea syndrome
Is a fairly common sleep disorder. Your airway may become blocked and you will stop breathing. When this happens, you will probably snore loudly and after waking up your brain and body may be deprived of oxygen. However, in severe cases it can happen many times.
Signs that you may have sleep apnea syndrome:
- You may wake up in the middle of the night with a dry or sore throat.
- Loud snoring.
- Sometimes when you wake up you have to gasp or feel suffocated.
- The next day, you feel extremely tired, sleepy, and lose energy.
- Sometimes you will suffer from headaches.
Sleepless
In people who work too much or have irregular working hours such as on guard duty, night shift, women who have just given birth, sick relatives, etc. The body lacks sleep and fatigue often makes them sleepy. Long sleep but the body is still tired, dozing during the day.
Medicine
Some medications can lead to sleep disturbances such as sleeping pills, antidepressants, antipsychotics, muscle relaxants, antiepileptic drugs, etc.
Narcolepsy
Normally. You will not be able to control when you will sleep, for example, while you are eating, you can still sleep. People with narcolepsy are unable to regulate their own sleep-wake cycles.
Commonly seen in males beginning in adolescence, there are 4 associated symptoms as follows:
The daytime naps, which often occur at the same time for each patient and the sudden onset of narcolepsy, are irresistible.
The sudden loss of muscle tone lasts for a short time, this muscle relaxation can be the whole body or can be localized in a few organs such as: head down, knees … often occurs when there is contact motion.
Visual and auditory hallucinations that occur during the lull stage cause panic.
Sleep paralysis is characterized by complete loss of all muscle movement, inability to breathe at a normal amplitude, which occurs on awakening.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Known as a sleep disorder that causes a seemingly irresistible urge to move your legs when you are resting. You may also feel pain, itching, burning, or a crawling sensation in your calf. In some cases, discomfort may be felt in other parts of the body.
What are the causes of sleep disorder?
There are many causes of sleep disturbances, including:
Nocturia
Hormonal imbalances and urinary tract diseases can contribute to this condition.
See your doctor right away if your frequent nighttime urination is accompanied by bleeding or pain.
Allergies and breathing problems
Allergies, colds, and upper respiratory infections can make it hard to breathe at night. The inability to breathe normally through the nose is also a cause of difficulty sleeping.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain can make it difficult to fall asleep. It even causes you to wake up in the middle of the night because of the pain and discomfort. Some of the most common causes of chronic pain include:
- Arthritis
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Persistent headache
- Chronic lower back pain
In some cases, chronic pain can even be aggravated by sleep disturbances. Many studies show that sleep problems can make fibromyalgia grow more complex and difficult to manage.
What remedies help with sleep disorder?
Sleep disorders are often prioritized by natural remedies including psychological relaxation and sleep hygiene. If that doesn’t work, your doctor will prescribe an appropriate sleep disorder medication.
Treatment of sleep disorder with psychological relaxation
In young and otherwise healthy individuals, non-serious sleep disturbances often improve well with this psychological relaxation measure. Even those with long-term insomnia, mental relaxation, stress relief, … also help improve your sleep.
Should create a habit of going to bed early before 11pm, sleeping for 7-8 hours a day. Before going to bed, you should spend 30 minutes to relax mentally, do not think about work, study or unresolved life problems while waiting for sleep.
Lifestyle changes
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Get into the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time. | Try to take short naps during the day, such as napping, if you are tired, you can sit back and relax, we will save that sleep at night.. |
| If you are hungry, have a snack before going to bed. | Look at the clock to see how sleepless you are. The more you look at it, the more anxious you will be and the more sad it will be, the more difficult it will be for you to sleep. |
| Get into the habit of exercising regularly every day. | Exercising too hard right before going to bed |
| Take about an hour to relax before bed. | Watch TV or read a book in bed when you can’t go to sleep. |
| If you go to bed and you’re still bothered or worried about something, write it down and deal with it in the morning. | Eat on a full stomach before going to bed. |
| Keep the bedroom dark and cool. | Drink coffee in the afternoon and evening. |
| Keep the bedroom quiet, away from noise. | Avoid keeping the bedroom too hot, stuffy, or brightly lit. |
| Limit the time you spend in bed to fall asleep. If you can’t fall asleep in bed for 20 minutes, get up, get out of bed, and only go back to bed when you’re really sleepy. | Smoking, using alcohol, stimulants, etc. |
Treatment with drugs
The doctor can prescribe drugs to treat sleep disorders such as tranquilizers, antidepressants, drugs to treat sleep disorders, etc. However, it should be noted that all drugs to treat these sleep disorders must be used. Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor, otherwise there may be adverse effects.
Tips to treat insomnia for you
Turn off electronic devices
⇔ Blue light is the range of light with the highest energy level in the human visible light spectrum with wavelengths from 400 nm to 500nm (nanometers). In addition to the sun, other sources of blue light that are close to you are phones, televisions, computers, LED lights, fluorescent lights, etc.
⇔ You should not use electronic devices until close to your usual bedtime, turn off all these technology “toys” before going to bed as soon as possible to enjoy a good, complete and healthy sleep.
Tips to reduce insomnia with exercise
⇔ Exercise is not only for health training but also a trick to cure insomnia without using sleeping pills. When the body is active, the blood will be circulated, thereby improving the quality of sleep.
⇔ It is not necessary to go to the gym, you just need to do simple exercises at home such as jogging, cycling, putting your feet on the wall, bending over or stretching… will also bring a good night’s sleep. and deeper.
Limit napping for too long
⇔ Various studies have shown that napping can improve memory and concentration, helping you to study, work and retain information better. What’s more, mid-day sleep is also very helpful for mood, pulling you out of the sluggishness and lack of energy in the afternoon.
⇔ If the night before, lack of sleep or insomnia, taking a quick nap will ease your fatigue and irritability. However, napping too long or too late can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.
Tips to cure insomnia by meditating
According to experts, meditation gives people a lot of mental health benefits, including sleep. Sleep problems including difficulty sleeping, insomnia, often not good sleep, daydreaming, etc. will be partly overcome if you meditate diligently.
⇔ Meditation stimulates the body to produce sleep-regulating hormones, melatonin and serotonin (the precursors of melatonin); At the same time, balance heart rate and blood pressure to help the body become healthy, mentally refreshed and more comfortable. As a result, feelings of stress and anxiety that carry negative thoughts gradually “leave” from your mind.
However, to establish a meditation habit, you need to persevere in practice.
When practicing this subject, you need to strictly comply with the following requirements:
- Choose a quiet and airy place to sit or lie down.
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly, then inhale and exhale deeply and evenly.
- When a thought comes to mind, let it go and refocus on your breathing.
- When you first start practicing meditation, you only need to meditate for 3 to 5 minutes before going to sleep. Over time, you slowly increase it to 15 to 20 minutes.
- Ideally, you should go to a class to be taught by an expert in meditation techniques that are beneficial for sleep and how to do it correctly. Because, practicing this subject improperly can reduce your motivation and change your emotions.
Tips to reduce insomnia with yoga
Sleep plays an important role in everyone’s health. The functions of the brain, cardiovascular system, immune system, and metabolic system are all closely related to sleep.
Currently, many methods of improving the mind and body are applied to improve the quality of sleep, including yoga therapy. They help the body regain a state of balance, not over-stressed nor over-excited.
Use the 4-7-8 breathing method:
⇔ The 4-7-8 principle almost becomes a tranquilizer for your nervous system, not only helping you to sleep right away, but at the same time it also helps to improve mood and reduce stress for the body.
Steps to implement the 4-7-8 method:
- Before you begin, lie down, move the tip of your tongue to the upper part of the oral cavity, just behind the upper teeth, and hold it there.
- Exhale through your mouth forcefully and quickly, as if you were breathing rapidly.
- Close your mouth and breathe in gently through your nose, counting from 1 to 4.
- Hold your breath and then count to 7.
- Do it again, exhaling completely from the mouth, breathing like this for 8 seconds.
- Continue to inhale and repeat the steps above 3 times to complete 4 breaths.
This activity will lower your heart rate, release some brain chemicals that make your mind more relaxed and easier to sleep.
Reflexology
According to traditional medicine, acupressure helps stimulate acupuncture points corresponding to different aspects of health. Acupressure can also help improve mental health, dispel fatigue. When your mind is more relaxed, you will also sleep well
Massage
⇔ If you have trouble sleeping but do not want to take medicine, you can apply massage method – an effective home remedy for insomnia. Massage movements in the head and face area will stimulate blood circulation to the brain, thereby helping you to improve sleep quality as well as be more healthy and refreshed after waking up.
Use essential oils
⇔ You can put essential oils in an essential oil diffuser so that the essential oil spreads throughout the bedroom space, increasing the humidity in the room space, bringing a gentle aroma, easy to sleep.
- You can mix essential oils and water into a spray bottle, spray around the room, or add essential oils to a salted bowl to spread the essential oils throughout the night, improving the quality of your sleep.
- Applying essential oils directly to the wrists, behind the ears or using essential oils to massage the body is also an effective insomnia treatment that you can apply.
- Besides, you can also add 1 and 1 drop of essential oil to a warm bath to soak before going to bed for 1 – 1.5 hours.
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