Struggling to fall asleep at night? Or maybe you’re falling asleep unintentionally during the day? Sleep disorders are common conditions that people suffer from – there are quite some different sleep disorders that can affect a person, and each of them come with their unpleasant symptoms and consequences. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as much as 70 million adults in the United States suffer from some kind of sleep disorder, with insomnia being one of the most commonly experienced conditions out of all the different sleep disorders that have been recognized by medical professionals. While insomnia causes problems with a person’s ability to fall asleep, narcolepsy, another disorder that is also rather common, can make it more difficult to stay awake during the day. In this guide, we’ll explore these two disorders, including their symptoms, causes and how they can be treated to sleep better – or to stay awake during daytime.
Insomnia: What It Is, The Symptoms And Potential Treatment Options
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes a person to find it difficult to fall asleep when they try to sleep. Many people who suffer from insomnia also find that it is very difficult to stay asleep once they have been able to fall asleep. People with insomnia are often unable to obtain a full night’s rest that lasts long enough for them to function normally, the following day. The Sleep Disorders Center at Stanford reports that as much as 18% of the global adult population may be affected by at least some symptoms of insomnia. This information was obtained after they reviewed over 50 studies that detailed insomnia and the sleep patterns of patients.
Symptoms
The following symptoms may be experienced when a person is suffering from insomnia:
- The most common and obvious symptom is finding that it is hard to fall asleep – sometimes it is even impossible to fall asleep throughout the entire night.
- You may wake up frequently at night after you have fallen asleep, or wake up too early and you are not able to fall asleep again.
- You may not feel “refreshed” when you wake up in the morning as you were not able to obtain an adequate amount of sleep.
Potential Treatment Options
Suffering from insomnia can be dreadful and adversely affect a person’s quality of life, as well as their ability to perform daily tasks. A lot of people also find that insomnia takes a toll on their productivity, which could affect their performance at work. To relief, the effects of insomnia, a variety of lifestyle changes can be applied, as well as some medical options.
Lifestyle options that can be applied includes
- Make some time to relax before going to bed.
- Try getting into a set schedule – go to bed at a set time and wake up at a set time every day.
- Do not use alcohol and caffeine products before you go to bed. Nicotine should also be avoided before you go to bed.
- Technology is often a culprit for making you feel less tired; thus avoiding television and the use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops before you go to bed can also help.
Should lifestyle changes not be able to help, medication is available in the form of over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
Narcolepsy: What It Is, The Symptoms And Potential Treatment Options
Insomnia makes it more difficult to sleep, but narcolepsy, on the other hand, makes it harder to control your wakefulness and sleep at times. One of the most important factors that put narcolepsy and insomnia into two completely separate categories is the fact that narcolepsy is a medical condition that is classified as a neurological disorder. This condition affects a person’s ability to control their sleep patterns and often makes it difficult to keep in control of staying awake. Many individuals with narcolepsy also experience some symptoms of depression.
Symptoms
While the inability to stay in control of your wakefulness and sleep is the most obvious symptom of narcolepsy, other symptoms have also been associated with this neurological condition that may help a person determine if they may be suffering from the condition. WebMD explains that the following symptoms may also be signs of narcolepsy:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Cataplexy
- Hallucinations
- Sleep paralysis
Potential Treatment Options
There are a variety of treatment options that people can utilize once they have been diagnosed with narcolepsy. Counseling is often recommended since Narcolepsy is more common among individuals who have also been diagnosed with depression; thus reducing the severity of the affected person’s depression symptoms may lead to the ability to manage their narcolepsy better. Certain lifestyle changes, such as scheduling out sleep and exercising regularly can also help to reduce the frequency that narcolepsy symptoms occur, as well as help to reduce the severity of the condition. Other lifestyle changes that may also help include the removal of nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine from your diet, as well as avoiding drugs that can lead to drowsiness as a side-effect.
Help Guide explains that, should the condition be more severe and more difficult to control, medication may be provided to the affected individual to help them manage their symptoms and treat the neurological disorder. This medication and drugs may include:
- Stimulants
- Sodium Oxybate
- Antidepressants
As a final note on narcolepsy, we would also like to mention the fact that, even though brain injuries and memory loss are usually associated with one another, sleep problems can also be a consequence that develops when a person is experiencing injury to their brain. Sleep Review Mag explains that narcolepsy is one particular type of sleep disorder that may develop in connection with a brain injury.
Conclusion
Insomnia and Narcolepsy are two common sleep disorders that people experience on a daily basis. Even though these two conditions are both classified as sleep disorders, they each have different symptoms that cause problems with an affected individual’s lifestyle. Being educated on the effects of these conditions, as well as how they can be effectively treated, can help you overcome their symptoms and restore your quality of life.