How to Pinpoint Your Sleep Disorder
There are almost as many sleep disorder as there are ways to sleep. Many sleep disorders go untreated and cause many problems for people simply because they don’t realize they suffer from a sleep disorder. How can you tell if you have a sleep disorder? If you find it difficult to stay awake during the day or hard to sleep at night then you might. Also, if you are moody or emotional, have trouble concentrating and thinking clearly, or simply can’t remember things like you used to, then you might be suffering from a sleep disorder.
Sleep disorders can be identified by paying attention to the problem itself. Some people have trouble falling asleep while others have difficulty waking up in the morning. Others can’t seem to stay awake throughout the day. Many people discover that they do odd things while they sleep. Still other people have trouble sleeping because their partner or spouse keeps them up at night.
If the sleep disorder has to do with falling asleep then there are several possibilities. For some people it is falling asleep when trying to go to bed that is difficult. This is referred to as sleep latency and is a common symptom of many serious sleep disorders. Some of the sleep disorders that could cause this are: delayed sleep phase disorder, paradoxical insomnia, and other types of insomnia. Others might wake up in the middle of the night but then be unable to fall asleep again. This symptom is called sleep fragmentation. Sleep fragmentation might indicate the person suffers from sleep maintenance insomnia. It is also common to wake up too early in the morning and then stay awake until the sun comes up. This symptom characterizes advanced sleep phase disorder and could also be a result of sleep maintenance insomnia.
If your symptoms involve constant tiredness throughout the day and you have trouble staying awake then you are probably suffering from a different sort of sleep disorder. You could have narcolepsy, especially if you seem to fall asleep uncontrollably and quickly, throughout the day.
Some people just can’t seem to get up in the morning. If it takes you more than an hour to fully wake up in the morning then this might be you. Sleep disorders that might cause this are: excessive sleep inertia, sleep apnea, or delayed sleep phase disorder.
For those that suspect they do strange things in their sleep the cause could be one of many parasomnias. Perhaps you sleepwalk or have vivid nightmares that disturb your sleep.
Others stay up all night because they have trouble sleeping next to their partner. Perhaps your partners snores incessantly or makes loud gasping or coughing sounds. Your partner could suffer from sleep apnea or snoring. Restless leg syndrome can be difficult to sleep with, too.
Once you know what your problem with sleep is, you should be on your way to pinpointing your specific disorder.
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