What are Sleep Disorders?

Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that disrupt your duration, timing, and quality of sleep. It also affects your ability to function when you are fully awake.

We all experience sleep problems from time to time. But if you regularly face trouble falling asleep or feel tired during the day even after having 6-7 hours of night sleep, you might be having a sleep disorder.

Sleep disorders are becoming increasingly common throughout the world. Stats indicate that almost 62% of adults worldwide complain that they don’t sleep well enough when they go to bed. The same is the case for people in Singapore. A survey shows that Singapore is the third most sleep-deprived country in the world where only 1 in 4 people get more than seven hours of sleep.

Sleep is an important indicator of how well your body is going to perform. The amount of sleep you require might differ from what others need, but experts usually recommend getting eight hours of sleep per day. Lack of quality sleep can harm your concentration, energy, mood, and productivity.

Sleep problems or disturbances can result from various factors, such as stress and hectic schedules. However, they can also be a symptom of an underlying condition. If you think you have a sleep disorder, consult your healthcare professional immediately to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. Otherwise, it can further lead to negative health consequences.

Types Of Sleep Disorders

Experts have identified at least 80 various types of sleep disorders. The most common types include:

1.    Insomnia

You have insomnia when you regularly face trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. With this condition, you frequently wake up at night or early in the morning and are unable to go back to sleep.

It is a very common condition. At least 50% of Americans suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives. It can stem from various factors, such as stress, underlying disease, jet lag, medications, and many others.

Insomnia can lead to other problems, such as difficulty concentrating, irritability, weight gain, depression, and poor performance at work or school. It can be categorized as either acute (lasts for only a few days) or chronic (occurs more than three nights per week for up to three months).

2.    Sleep Apnea

It is a serious sleep disorder that affects your breathing during sleep. With sleep apnea, your breathing stops temporarily during sleep, causing you to wake up frequently. It may last for several seconds to a few minutes and may occur many times during night’s sleep.

Sleep apnea can lead to fragmented sleep, resulting in daytime fatigue and tiredness. There are two types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: It is the most common type of sleep apnea that is characterized by narrowing or partial obstruction of the upper airway. It leads to snoring, choking, or gasping as you struggle to breathe.
• Central Sleep Apnea: In this type, your brain sends improper signals to muscles that regulate breathing. Individuals with central sleep apnea may experience irregular breathing patterns and they might not be aware of their breathing disruptions during the night.

3.    Restless Leg Syndrome

It is a neurological disorder in which you have the sudden urge to move your legs. It is followed by weird sensations, such as throbbing and creeping, in the leg that occurs mostly during periods of rest at night.

RLS negatively impacts your sleep cycle, leading to irritability, mood changes, and fatigue during the day. Stats indicate that it almost affects up to 7-10% of the general population, with a higher prevalence in women.

4.    Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder

These are the disorders that disturb the internal clock of your body, known as circadian rhythm. It regulates your sleep cycle and biological processes over a period of 24 hours.

Light is the main cue that influences circadian rhythm. When there is no or less light at night, your brain triggers the release of melatonin that induces sleep. On the other hand, your brain signals the body to wake up when the sun comes up in the morning.

Whenever our circadian rhythm goes off track due to misalignment with external cues, we feel irritated, tired, and sleepy at inconvenient times. These disorders are associated with a variety of sleep problems, including:

• Shift Work Disorder: It occurs due to non-traditional job working hours, resulting in misalignment between the body’s internal clock and external cues.
• Jet lag disorder: It happens after rapid traveling across different time zones, thus disrupting your circadian rhythm and causing symptoms like fatigue and insomnia.
• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. It affects people who sleep late at night and struggle to wake up in the morning at the desired time. This leads to symptoms like daytime sleepiness and difficulty concentrating.

5.    Narcolepsy

It is a neurological disorder that affects the ability of your brain to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. It causes frequent sleep attacks while you are awake without any warning even in the middle of activities, such as talking and driving. It can cause sleep paralysis that affects your ability to move when you wake up.

6.    REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

In this disorder, you physically act out your dreams during the rapid eye movement of the sleep stage. Normally, your body experiences temporary muscle paralysis during the REM stage which prevents you from moving. However, REM sleep behavior disorder results in incomplete or absent paralysis, allowing you to act out your dreams which often can be intense or frightening.