How to Know if You Have a Sleep Disorder

What is a sleep disorder?

Simply put, a sleep disorder is a problem or condition that results in lack of quality sleep. Lacking quality sleep impacts daytime function and a myriad of physical and mental elements. Sleep is a basic human need, much like eating and drinking, and is crucial to our overall health and well-being.

What is quality or healthy sleep?

World Sleep Society defines quality sleep as consisting of three basic elements. Three elements of quality sleep are:

Duration: The length of sleep should be sufficient for the sleeper to be rested and alert the following day.

Continuity: Sleep periods should be seamless without fragmentation.

Depth: Sleep should be deep enough to be restorative.

Healthy sleep is sleep which restores and energizes a person so he or she feels wide awake, dynamic and energetic all day long. Health and disease are opposites, and therefore, when a disease or disorder of sleep does exist, sleep investigation is needed to identify and treat it. Sleep disorders are not rare, and they can cause serious problems if left untreated. Though up to 45% of the world may live with a sleep disorder, most are treatable.

Why should I care about sleep disorders?

Good quality and restorative sleep is essential for day-to-day functioning. Sleeping better may be a struggle for some, but much like diet and exercise, it should be considered an important part of a healthy life. Since the majority of sleep disorders are treatable, the poor mental and physical consequences of lack of sleep do not have to be tolerated.

Who is likely to have a sleep disorder?

While anyone can have a sleep disorder, a person’s age, gender and genetics play a part. There are some populations at higher risks of sleep disorders and include those who are overweight, living with genetic syndromes, the elderly or individuals with comorbidities that affect sleep such as depression.

How can a sleep disorder affect physical health?

Physically, lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep is known to have a significant negative impact on our health in the long and short term. Poor quality sleep or sleep deprivation has been associated with significant health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, weakened immune systems and even some cancers.

How can a sleep disorder affect mental health?

Lack of sleep is related to many psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and psychosis. Next day effects of poor-quality sleep include a negative impact on attention span, memory recall and learning. Recently, a link between poor sleep and Alzheimer’s disease has been reported.

What are general vs. obscure sleep disorders?

Though there are close to 100 classified sleep disordered, the most common are sleep apnea and insomnia. The prevalence of sleep apnea in the adult population aged 30 to 70 years is approximately 26% to 34% in men and 17% to 28% in women. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder. With insomnia, it is estimated that up to 30% of people may have
intermittent or some episodes of insomnia, with chronic insomnia affecting around 10-15% of the global population. Insomnia is a disorder involving inability to fall or stay asleep.

How do I know if I have a sleep disorder?

The first step is to be evaluated by a sleep expert. Generally, after a patient has visited a physician about symptoms pertaining to a suspected sleep disorder, a sleep study will be recommended. Sleep study, or polysomnogram, is an overnight clinical investigation of sleep disorders usually performed in a dedicated facility. The patient is scheduled to arrive for sleep study 60-90 minutes before his/her usual bedtime. Before electrode application, the technologist offers an explanation of sleep study procedure. The sleep study will be performed overnight. When the patient wakes in the morning, the technologist obtains the patient’s impression of the night’s sleep; this information will be linked to the sleep study results. In some patients, the presence of overwhelming daytime sleepiness requires adequate daytime assessment, which would require for a patient to remain in a facility the day following overnight sleep study.

What should I do if I think I have a sleep disorder?

If you suspect you or a loved one may be living with a sleep disorder, the first step could be tracking symptoms at home. A sleep diary is often recommended to track bedtimes, waketime, number of nocturnal wakings and how you felt upon waking up and throughout the day. Sample sleep diaries are available online to print. Once you have data on your sleep, it is good to make an appointment with your primary care physician to discuss next steps.

SLEEP DISORDER CATEGORIES

Besides breathing disorders and insomnia, other sleep disorders generally fall into the remaining categories of:

  • Circadian rhythm disorders: Problems with sleep and wake times being inconsistent or misaligned.
  • Hypersomnias: Issues with excessive sleepiness
  • Movement disorders: Troubles with unwanted movements prior to or during sleep.
  • Parasomnias: Complications with unwanted experiences when falling asleep or waking.

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