medicalmonday

Are you constantly feeling tired despite going to bed at a reasonable hour each night? Getting quality sleep is as important as getting enough hours of shut-eye.

“Sleep affects every aspect of our lives, from our brain health and staying focused to our heart health, mood, immune system, and even our metabolism,” Dr. Ryan Soose, MD, Ear, Nose & Throat, UPMC Mercy, tells WPXI. “So when we don’t sleep well, especially over long periods, our bodies and brains can feel drained and irritable. Many people gain weight, and we’re more susceptible to diseases.”

If you’re struggling to fall asleep or staying asleep, or get blamed for snoring a lot, you could be one of the millions of Americans suffering from one of these common sleep disorders. View the infographic below to learn more.

Sleep disorders that are potentially disturbing your sleep

Types of Sleep Disorders

  • Sleep Apnea – one of the most common sleep disorders that disrupts breathing during sleep. Typically with a 10+ second pause between breaths. Common symptoms of sleep apnea include loud/chronic snoring, choking or gasping, waking up with a sore throat, and morning headaches.
  • Narcolepsy – a neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep normally. Signs of narcolepsy can include excessive sleepiness and fatigue, loss of muscle control (cataplexy), insomnia, and hallucinations. It should be noted that people with narcolepsy don’t actually sleep any more than a normal person.
  • Sleepwalking (somnambulism) – Walking or performing complex behaviors while asleep. Contrary to popular belief, sleepwalkers should be awakened to prevent them from causing harm to themselves.
  • Insomnia – Difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. The symptoms of insomnia are pretty obvious and can include difficulty falling/staying asleep, waking up too early, feeling tired, and disturbances in mood.
  • Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) – Overwhelming and often unpleasant urges to move the legs while at rest. Symptoms are not easy to define. Some people use comparisons, such as “like ants crawling through my legs” or “like soda running through my veins” to describe their RLS.
  • Sleep Paralysis – A temporary inability to move or speak when REM sleep is interrupted. It can last for mere seconds, or drag on for minutes. People that experience sleep paralysis often say that they feel like someone is in their room or something is on their chest.