In Australia, it is estimated that more 9% of the adult population is suffering from sleep disorders. That is how prevalent these conditions are. But it is important to note that there are various types of sleep disorders. Each one is different and may have varying symptoms. Here are the common sleep disorders in Australia:
Insomnia
Insomnia is usually characterized by either difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. An individual with this condition does not get sufficient amount of sleep to relax the body. In the modern world, insomnia ranks among the most common sleep disorders and has a significant effect on adults. There are two main types of Insomnia. If the condition occurs at least three times a week for more than one month, they are signs of chronic insomnia.
Transient or intermittent insomnia mostly occurs after a stressful life event happening for example; death of a loved one or being involved in an accident. Its symptoms include sleep difficulty, low concentration, depression, headaches or irritability. The treatment of insomnia mostly involves resolving its main cause to prescribe the necessary treatment. This may be medical or non-medical approaches that are based on behavioral of the individual.
Sleep Apnea
It occurs when a person repeatedly experiences difficulty in breathing while sleeping. It can result from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which results from the blockage of the airway leading to a pause or cessation of airflow. Consequently, it leads to obstructive sleep or failure of the brain to initiate a breath known as central sleep apnea. This event may repeatedly occur in many phases in an hour leading to poor quality of sleep due to momentarily awakening by the brain to grasp some breath.
Obstructive sleep apnea symptoms include: snoring, feeling like choking, frequent awakenings headaches, daytimes sleepiness, depression and gaining weight. Sleep apnea may cause diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attack, obesity, stroke and so on. Treatment options depending on the level the apnea is in. There exist effective treatments such as surgery or continuous positive airway pressure.
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
Restless legs syndrome is a sleep disorder associated with repetitive movement of the legs during sleep. It causes an uncomfortable sensation and urges you to move the legs while trying to fall asleep. These sensations include aches, burning, tingling or itching. Stretching, rubbing or walking may improve this disorder. It is caused by iron deficiency and obesity. We recommend iron supplements and medications to treat the condition.
Narcolepsy
Mostly characterized by excessive sleeping during the day regardless of a person sleeping well at night. Most of the times the sleep attacks happen unexpectedly, and without warning, this makes it impossible to resist. Other symptoms associated with narcolepsy include: sleep paralysis which involves the inability to move or talk while waking up or falling asleep. Another condition includes cataplexy, which is the loss of muscle tone in response to an emotional stimulus. The treatment of narcolepsy involves the use of medications such as antidepressants, nuvigil, and Provigil.
Circadian Rhythm Disorder
Circadian rhythm disorder occurs when your internal biological clock is out of sync with external time cues. This includes the natural dark-light cycle. Note that sleep is naturally driven by dark and sunlight. That’s why you sleep well when it is dark and have trouble sleeping in the day. But with circadian rhythm disorder, the natural order disruption leads to difficulties in sleep. Individuals with this problem find it difficult to adapt to working shifts. Unfortunately, the problem is increasing kids due to the presence of illuminating devices in the house.
Snoring
Snoring is a common problem, but most people don’t realize that it is a health condition. It is one of the sleep disorders resulting from overweight, smoking or drinking alcohol. In some cases, the cause could be an allergy. Fortunately, you treat snoring using a special mouth guard that helps to keep your airways open. If the problem is an allergy, have it treated to and snoring will just go away. For kids with a snoring problem, the solution is removing their tonsils.
If you are struggling with sleep, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment through us for diagnosis. We will help you treat the sleep disorder no matter the stage it’s in. At Kennedy Healthcare, we have specialists to all types of sleep disorder.