This list may include symptoms you didn't even know you had as a result of an undiagnosed sleep disorder or a health condition that causes a sleep disorder.
Most people realize that their sleep is troubled when they feel excessively tired the next day, but it is often difficult to attribute this excessive tiredness to symptoms such as congestion, digestive diseases, or pain. Instead, people mistakenly attribute it to a lack of caffeine or being stressed out late at night or during the day.
9 Sleep Disorders That Indicate You Need to Consult a Doctor
1. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is a common sign of sleep apnea, which is a sleep disorder. Your breathing stops and starts again. During sleep, the muscles relax, and the pharynx narrows or closes.
Sleep apnea is also associated with snoring, choking during sleep, headaches, and a dry mouth when getting up. A sleep specialist may ask you to do a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea. It is usually treated with a device called a Continuous Positive Airway Compressor (CPAP), which is a device that pumps out continuous air at a specified pressure, keeping the airway open.
Another possible cause of shortness of breath is a "postnasal drip." When a large amount of mucus is secreted to the back of the pharynx, it can block the airways, causing a temporary stop in breathing while sleeping. This leads to panting, and it may be caused by allergies, changes in the weather, or the common cold.
Keeping the body hydrated helps the mucus pass through more easily, as do mucus-dissolving substances such as Mucinex and nasal saline. If these over-the-counter strategies don't reduce postnasal drip, your specialist may prescribe a decongestant to help clear mucus and prevent a blocked throat. While also checking for other possible causes, such as sinus allergies or sinusitis.
Acid reflux may also cause panting because acidic secretions from the stomach come back up into the esophagus, and patients often feel a sour taste in their mouths. Sleeping on your left side while lifting your upper body with a foam wedge pillow or taking antacids may help control breathing problems at night.
2. Snoring
Snoring is another common symptom of sleep apnea. When there is a narrowing of the airway, either in the nose or the pharynx, the tissues begin to vibrate and make a snoring sound. This may be associated with shortness of breath, snoring during sleep, dry mouth in the morning, and nasal congestion.
It may also be caused by allergies or colds, as well as being overweight. Shortness of breath and increased sweating are additional symptoms that may disturb your sleep.
A sleep specialist can order a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea. If there is no evidence of sleep apnea, various treatment options for snoring include sleeping on your side, raising your bed, using nasal strips, nasal sprays, or an oral device.
3. Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder. It is an unwanted behavior or experience during sleep. It is a disorder that occurs during the deepest stage of non-rapid eye movement sleep when the brain is disturbed and remains in a state between sleep and wakefulness.
This may be caused by sleep deprivation, stress, anxiety, or fever. Taking certain medications, such as hypnotics and sedatives. In addition, some medications used to treat mental disorders may also contribute to this.
A sleep specialist can diagnose this disorder by taking a comprehensive medical history, ordering a sleep study, and recommending preventive measures, such as changing medications, having someone wake you usually 15 minutes before your sleepwalking, and avoiding other triggers, such as sleep deprivation and stress.
4. Talking while sleeping
Talking during sleep is one of the most common types of sleep disorders. However, its cause is still unknown. It is more common in people with mental illnesses and can be associated with sleepwalking and nightmares, and other causes may include emotional stress, fever, and drug abuse.
This condition can lead to decreased focus, severe mood swings, or hallucinations. If sleep talking is not normal and causes you anxiety, you should consult a specialist.
This disorder can be diagnosed by taking a comprehensive medical history, ordering a sleep study if necessary, and recommending preventive measures. Triggers such as stress and sleep deprivation should be avoided, and some medications, such as antidepressants, can trigger talking during sleep. In addition, your doctor may make some adjustments to your diet as well.
5. Chronic nightmares
Chronic nightmares may result from several different mental illnesses, the most common of which is anxiety and depression. Changes to your daily schedule that reduce your sleeping hours also lead to an increase in nightmares, as is the case with PTSD.
Treatment of chronic nightmares is necessary if they cause distress, sleep deprivation, or affect your performance during the day. Recurrent nightmares can cause severe health damage, such as an increased risk of suicide, heart disease, and obesity. Those who suffer from chronic nightmares should seek treatment and advice from a medical professional.
Your nightmares can be a side effect of the medications you're taking. In this case, your doctor may change the dose or medication to reduce it. However, if your nightmares are caused by anxiety and depression, it can also help you develop time management skills, prioritization, and stress reduction methods that work best for you.
Imagery rehearsal therapy, which involves changing the ending of the nightmare that you remember while you're awake and then rehearsing the new ending in your mind, can be very successful in treating recurring nightmares caused by PTSD.
6. Frequent waking up to urinate
Nocturia becomes more common as you age, but it can also be a sign of a problem. This condition may be caused by the normal aging process of the bladder or perhaps by a medical condition. It can occur alone or coincide with frequent urination during the day.
The most common cause is drinking plenty of fluids shortly before bedtime. But some diseases that cause frequent urination at night may be more severe, such as cystitis, urinary tract infection, diabetes, an enlarged prostate gland, or chronic kidney failure.
To spot the problem, you can start by reducing the number of fluids you consume before bed. Keep a diary for a few days that states how much you drink, how often you go to the bathroom, and an estimate of how much you urinate. You should also write down any medications you're taking, any urinary tract infections, and any related symptoms.
Your doctor can then use this information to determine possible causes and treatments for nocturia, depending on the underlying disease. Treatments may include anticholinergic medications, which reduce irritable bladder symptoms or treat other diseases and infections, such as diabetes or a urinary tract infection.
7. Bruxism
The harmful effects of bruxism can be seen when you clench your teeth while you sleep during the day, with a mild headache or jaw pain. This condition is considered a sleep-related movement disorder, and according to the Mayo Clinic, people who experience bruxism during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
Bruxism may be caused by stress and anxiety. However, it is more likely to be caused by jaw and tooth problems. The dentist can check the mouth and jaw for signs and symptoms, such as attrition or loose teeth, and then recommend the use of a mouthguard to protect the teeth at night.
8. Falling asleep very quickly
If you sleep less than the recommended seven to nine hours each night and fall asleep the moment you put your head on the pillow, it could be a sign that your body needs more rest.
Other signs of sleep deprivation include excessive daytime sleepiness and difficulty processing emotions or focusing on simple tasks. Another sign is that you feel sleepy or fall asleep when doing normal activities, such as watching TV or driving a car.
If you suspect that you have sleep deprivation, you can use the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to measure your sleepiness. However, it is also recommended to consult a sleep specialist so they can perform the appropriate tests to help you improve your sleep, especially if you are following good sleep habits and are still suffering from sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation may be a sign of a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy, a condition in which you suddenly feel sleepy, which can cause you to fall asleep immediately (also known as sleep episodes).
This condition is caused by a loss of a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating wakefulness, as well as excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep episodes. You may also have episodes of cataplexy (brief periods of muscle weakness) and restless sleep at night.
A sleep specialist can diagnose the cause, order a sleep study if needed, and, if it turns out you have narcolepsy, may prescribe some medications to keep you awake.
9. Eating while sleeping
Sleep-related eating disorders occur when a person eats food while completely asleep and is not aware of his actions. This condition may be caused by taking certain medications, such as sleeping pills, or it can occur in people who suffer from other sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome.
People with this disorder are at risk of fatigue, depression, and weight gain, and they are at risk of burning or injuring themselves when preparing food in their sleep or even poisoning from eating unhealthy materials.
If the disorder is caused by medications, a sleep specialist may recommend using alternative medications or avoiding certain medications altogether. However, if it's not caused by medications, your doctor might recommend lifestyle changes to reduce stress and eliminate potential risks that could harm you during an episode, such as relocating furniture in order not to fall on your way to the kitchen, putting locks on your refrigerator, cupboards, and oven, and even putting an alarm on your bedroom door.
How to Self-Monitor Sleep Problems?
Household members may point out any sleep disorders you have so you can check them out, but that's not an option when you live alone.
For people who live alone, monitoring sleep disorders is a real challenge, as sometimes you may notice that the house is in a mess that wasn't there before you went to bed, and this makes it easy to notice that there is a problem.
However, most of the time, you may feel that your sleep is not normal. For example, you may feel very tired or irritable during the day, even though you sleep the recommended number of hours, but find no tangible evidence when you wake up the next day.
This is where sleep trackers come in. There are several ways to track sleep to understand possible symptoms that may occur. These devices may include wearable devices, bedside devices, and bed sensors.
Wearable devices can collect information about movement, heart rate, and breathing patterns, and since most of these devices are multi-purpose, users can use them to track eating habits and breathing patterns during the day as well.
For example, if your usual amount of sleep decreases significantly, you can speculate that this is caused by symptoms related to your health, and you can then compare this information with your sleep patterns to understand what symptoms you are experiencing during sleep and what their causes are.
Devices that collect data on breathing and body movement habits can also be placed at the bedside. This information can help determine if you have shortness of breath or excessive movement during sleep. This device may also save information about your bedroom environment, such as temperature, ambient noise, and light.
There are also bed sensors that can be placed under the sheets or the mattress, and these sensors collect information about movement and heart rate. An irregular heart rate is associated with some diseases, such as hyperthyroidism or excessive stress, and some sensors may also track temperature and humidity.
In conclusion
After collecting sleep data for 2-3 weeks, you can bring it to your doctor at your next consultation appointment.
But because these commercial devices are not authorized for clinical diagnosis, a clinician can't use this data alone to make a formal diagnosis, but they can at least use the data to help determine whether clinical tests are helpful.
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