Sleep is a complex biological process. While you are sleeping, you are unconscious, but your brain and body functions are still active. Sleep is very important. Not getting enough sleep can have untoward consequences on school and work performance, interpersonal relationships, health and safety. Experts generally recommend that adults sleep at least seven to nine hours per night, although some people require more and others require less.

Not getting the proper amount or quality of sleep leads to more than just feeling tired. Sleepiness interferes with cognitive function, which can lead to learning disabilities in children, memory impairment in people of all ages, personality changes and depression.

People who are deprived of sleep experience difficulty making decisions, irritability, have problems with performance, and slower reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related accidents. Sleep loss can also adversely affect life by contributing to the development of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

 Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that affect the ability to sleep well on a regular basis. These conditions impair your sleep or prevent you from getting restful sleep and, as a result, can cause daytime sleepiness and other symptoms. Everyone can experience problems with sleep from time to time.

Most people occasionally experience sleeping problems due to stress, hectic schedules, and other outside influences. However, when these issues begin to occur on a regular basis and interfere with daily life, they may indicate a sleeping disorder.

Depending on the type of sleep disorder, people may have a difficult time falling asleep and may feel extremely tired throughout the day. The lack of sleep can have a negative impact on energy, mood, concentration, and overall health.

In some cases, sleep disorders can be a symptom of another medical or mental health condition. These sleeping problems may eventually go away once treatment is obtained for the underlying cause.

What causes sleep disorders? Sleep problems can be caused by various factors. Although causes might differ, the end result of all sleep disorders is that the body's natural cycle of slumber and daytime wakefulness is disrupted or exaggerated.

The factors include: Allergies and respiratory problems. Allergies, colds, and upper respiratory infections can make it challenging to breathe at night. The inability to breathe through your nose can also cause sleeping difficulties.

Frequent urination or Nocturia, may disrupt your sleep by causing you to wake up during the night. Hormonal imbalances and diseases of the urinary tract may contribute to the development of this condition.

Chronic pain can make it difficult to fall asleep. It might even wake you up after you fall asleep. Some of the most common causes of chronic pain include: Arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, persistent headaches and continuous lower back pain. In some cases, chronic pain may even be exacerbated by sleep disorders.

Stress and anxiety often have a negative impact on sleep quality. It can be difficult for you to fall asleep or to stay asleep. Nightmares, sleep talking, or sleepwalking may also disrupt your sleep.

Others are: Psychiatric (such as depression and anxiety disorders), working the night shift, genetics, medications and aging (about half of all adults over the age of 65 have some sort of sleep disorder.

Symptoms of sleep disorders.

Symptoms differ depending on the severity and type of sleeping disorder. They may also vary when sleep disorders are a result of another condition.

However, general symptoms of sleep disorders include: Difficulty falling or staying asleep, daytime fatigue, strong urge to take naps during the day, unusual breathing patterns, unusual or unpleasant urges to move while falling asleep, unusual movement or other experiences while asleep, unintentional changes to your sleep/wake schedule, irritability or anxiety, impaired performance at work or school, lack of concentration, depression and weight gain.

Others are: Fall asleep while driving, struggle to stay awake when inactive, such as when watching television or reading, often get told by others that you look sleepy, have difficulty with your memory, have slowed responses and having difficulty controlling your emotions.

Types of sleep disorders.

 The top sleep disorders are: Insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and narcolepsy.

What is insomnia? This is a sleep disorder where people have difficulty falling or staying asleep. People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms: Difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep, waking up too early in the morning, having unrefreshing sleep and having at least one daytime problem such as fatigue, sleepiness, problems with mood, concentration, accidents at work or while driving, etc. due to poor sleep.

Insomnia varies in how long it lasts and how often it occurs. About 50% of adults experience occasional bouts of insomnia and one in 10 suffer from chronic insomnia. Insomnia can occur by itself or can be associated with medical or psychiatric conditions. Insomnia can be short-term (acute or adjustment insomnia) or can last a long time (chronic insomnia).  Acute or adjustment insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called chronic when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week for a month or longer.

Short-term or acute insomnia can be caused by life stresses (such as job loss or change, death of a loved one, or moving), an illness, or environmental factors such as light, noise, or extreme temperatures.

Long-term or chronic insomnia (insomnia that occurs at least three nights a week for at least three months or longer) can be caused by factors such as depression, chronic stress and pain or discomfort at night.

What is sleep apnea? This is a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep.

There are two types of sleep apnea: Obstructive and central.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common of the two. It is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. Symptoms of OSA may include snoring, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, restlessness during sleep, gasping for air while sleeping and trouble concentrating.

In Central sleep apnea (CSA), the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to tell the body to breathe. This type is called central apnea because it is related to the function of the central nervous system. People with CSA may gasp for air but mostly report recurrent awakenings during night.

What is restless legs syndrome?

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder that causes an intense, often irresistible urge to move the legs. This sensation is brought on by resting such as lying down in bed, sitting for prolonged periods such as while driving or at a theatre. RLS typically occurs in the evening, making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can be associated with problems with daytime sleepiness, irritability and concentration. Often, people with RLS want to walk around and shake their legs to help relieve the uncomfortable sensation.

What is narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. These sudden sleep attacks may 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.

Narcolepsy usually begins between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can become apparent at any age. In many cases, narcolepsy is undiagnosed and, therefore, untreated.

Parasomnias are a class of sleep disorders that cause abnormal movements and behaviors during sleep. They include: sleepwalking, sleep talking, groaning, nightmares, bedwetting and teeth grinding or jaw clenching.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS

If you suspect that you may have a sleep disorder, discuss your symptoms with your healthcare provider. He or she can perform a physical examination and help you identify the difficulties you are having with sleep. Some illnesses can cause disturbed sleep, so your healthcare provider may order tests to rule out other conditions.

In order to determine if you have a sleep disorder, it is important to pay attention to your sleep habits by keeping a sleep diary and discussing patterns and characteristics of your sleep with your healthcare provider. Consult your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about your sleep patterns.

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT. Many common sleep problems can be treated with behavioral treatments and an increased attention to proper sleep hygiene.

There are a variety of treatments recommended by healthcare providers:

Counseling: Some sleep specialists recommend cognitive behavior therapy. Such counseling helps you “recognize, challenge and change stress-inducing thoughts” that can keep you awake at night.

Medications and/or supplements.

Your healthcare provider will recommend treatments based on your unique situation.

Tips for getting a good night's sleep.

Create an optimal sleep environment by making sure that your bedroom is comfortable, cool, quiet and dark. If noise keeps you awake, try using background sounds like "white noise" or earplugs. If light interferes with your sleep, try a sleep mask or blackout curtains.

Think positive. Avoid going to bed with a negative mind set, such as "If I don't get enough sleep tonight, how will I ever get through the day tomorrow?"

Avoid using your bed for anything other than sleep and intimate relations. Do not watch television, eat, work, or use computers in your bedroom.

Try to clear your mind before bed time by writing things down or making a to-do list earlier in the evening. This is helpful if you tend to worry and think too much in bed at night.

Establish and practice sleep hygiene such as keeping  a regular bedtime and a relaxing routine each night by taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music, or reading. Try relaxation exercises, meditation, biofeedback, or hypnosis. Wake up at the same time each morning, including days off and vacations.

Stop clock watching. Turn the clock around and use only the alarm for waking up. Leave your bedroom if you cannot fall asleep in 20 minutes. Read or engage in a relaxing activity in another room.

Avoid stimulants (coffee, tea, soda/cola, cocoa and chocolate) and heavy meals for at least four hours before bedtime. Light carbohydrate snacks such as milk, yogurt, or crackers may help you fall asleep easier.

Avoid alcohol and tobacco for at least four hours before bedtime and during the night.

Exercise regularly, but not within four hours of bedtime if you have trouble sleeping.

Avoid the following: Caffeinated drinks such as soda and coffee in the late afternoon or evening, diet pills, decongestants, antidepressants.

Others are: Incorporating more vegetables and fish into your diet, and reducing sugar intake, drinking less water before bedtime, limiting your caffeine intake, eating smaller low carbohydrate meals before bedtime and maintaining a healthy weight based on your doctor’s recommendations

 While you might be tempted to sleep in on the weekends, this can make it more difficult to wake up and fall asleep during the workweek.

Sleep disorders may not be deadly, but they affect your quality of life so often and so severely that they can disrupt your thinking, weight, school/work performance, mental health and your general physical health. Common ones like narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea prevent you from getting the long, deep sleep you need to function at your best.