It is a common knowledge that sleep is essential for human
beings. 6-7 hours of daily sleep is necessary because sleep helps in keeping
the heart healthy, it reduces stress and also helps in improving memory.
However, sometimes, people have a difficulty in falling asleep for the adequate
amount of time every day. They may sleep for very short period or for too long.
This is known as sleep pattern disturbance, and can be caused due to several reasons.
Sleep Disorder Causes
Due to the modern-day lifestyle, stress has become an
integral part of people's lives. Stress is the number one cause of disturbances
in sleep patterns in people. Increasing anxiety and stress, people have
difficulty in falling asleep every day. Along with stress and anxiety, fear,
depression or any illness can also cause disturbances in sleep.
Consumption of caffeine containing products like coffee,
sodas also lead to insomnia or lack of sleep.
There are several sleep disorders that can cause disturbance
in the sleeping pattern. For e.g., disorders like insomnia, parasomnia,
dyspnoea, can also be the potential causes for this condition. Therefore, we
observe that this condition can be caused by as simple a condition as lack of physical
activity, disturbances in the environment; or due to complex disorders like
side effects of certain medication, illness or anxiety.
It should also be noted that sleep pattern and depression are
related to each other. Depression can be one of the major causes if a person
suffers from sleep disorders for a long time, without any known abnormality.
Sleep Disorder Symptoms
Difficulty in falling asleep is the most common and obvious
symptom of sleeping disorders. The person may also wake up very early than
usual, feeling of exhausted. These symptoms are accompanied by several other
symptoms like feeling sleepy during the day, irritability, lethargy, fatigue,
weakness, disorientation, inability to concentrate, frequent yawning and having
dark circles under eyes. They look exhausted, have a blank expression on their
face; and may show short temper and agitation.
Sleep disorders can also give rise to symptoms like bed
wetting, sleep talking, sleepwalking in toddlers.
Sleep Disorder
Treatment
It is essential to find out the root cause of sleep disorder
in order to look for proper treatment. In case, the disorder is found only in
one or two instances, there is nothing to worry about. On the other hand, if it
appears frequently, one should surely look for professional help to treat it.
Sleep pattern disturbance related to pain or illness can be
treated by treating the underlying illness itself with proper medical help.
Other sleep disorders can also be treated with the help of medications and
therapy. It is advised that people should not go for sleep medications without
prescription, as they can be addictive and cause several side effects.
Self-help Methods
- Stress, anxiety, fear, should be reduced by following proper relaxation techniques. Techniques like yoga and meditation help in the same.
- People should avoid having caffeine containing products like coffee as they are related to insomnia. Similarly, smoking and drinking should also be reduced and avoided before bedtime.
- You should carry out at least one physical activity every day or exercise regularly to have sound sleep.
- You should follow a proper sleeping pattern or schedule, and avoid sleeping for long hours during the day.
- Lastly, you should note that the bedroom should be peaceful and quiet so as to avoid any disturbance while sleeping.
Proper sleep is essential for overall well-being. Therefore,
you should treat sleep disorders with proper methods or professional help at
the earliest.
No comments:
Post a Comment