Health

Common Types of Sleep Disorders

A great many people are suffering from sleep disorders in San Diego. About 40% of all Americans suffer from sleep disorders.

However, not all sleep disorders are the same. Different types have different characteristics that you can use to identify them.

The following are common types of sleep disorders:

Snoring

Though most people do not know it, snoring is a sleep disorder, and the most common one. Snoring occurs when you have difficulty keeping your throat open when you are sleeping.

Because your airways are blocked, the sound of air passing in and out of them is quite loud creating your snoring.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a situation where you are temporarily unable to breathe when you sleep. If you can’t breathe, your body does not receive the necessary amount of oxygen.

Lower oxygen levels in the blood cause the body to be jerked in reaction. Blocked air pathways also cause sleep apnea.

There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common one of the two disorders.

Insomnia

Insomnia is the inability to sleep, but there are many forms of the condition. It may include problems falling or staying asleep.

Insomnia may also include the inability to go back to sleep once awakened. If insomnia persists, it can become chronic.

Restless Leg Syndrome

The main characteristic of restless leg syndrome is experiencing sensations of pain or numbness, such as being pricked by needles or an insect crawling up your legs. The sensations make you want to move your legs, or they may move without your conscious control.

The sensations will disappear for a short while after you move your legs, and then they will reappear. Many factors contribute to the development of restless leg syndrome, such as obesity and pregnancy.

Narcolepsy

You are narcoleptic if you do not have control over your sleep and wake states. People with narcolepsy fall asleep at different times without their control.

Other symptoms of narcolepsy include sleep paralysis and having hallucinations. Narcolepsy can be very dangerous as it can happen at inopportune moments, for example, when driving.

Parasomnia

Parasomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by unusual sleep behavior. People with parasomnia do things that other people do only when they are awake.

Sleepwalking, sleep eating, and having sex when asleep are all types of parasomnia. There are many causes for the vast array of parasomnias.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

As the name suggests, this sleep disorder is characterized by always being tired. It will not disappear even if you sleep for a suitable period.

Chronic fatigue syndrome gets worse with any mental or physical activity, making it a hazardous sleep disorder. It is very difficult to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome; hence it has no cure.

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a sleep disorder where you cannot move your body at all when waking from sleep. The paralysis can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes after waking up.

Sleep paralysis can happen even in healthy individuals. The condition may also include hallucinations.

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