Sleep serves a vital role in health and happiness. Unable to get a good night’s sleep is almost the same as avoiding meals or not drinking adequate fluid. Sleep is important for a healthy lifestyle and to function every day. The brains use 25% of the bodies’ energy, in spite of only being 3% of the body weight.
It needs to reinstate that used energy, and it uses sleep to get it. For this to occur, an adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep per night. People with insomnia usually get less than five or six hours. Neurologists in the Neurosciences department can provide treatment for sleeping disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea and snoring, especially when the cause is thought to be neurological.
Causes of snoring
When you breathe, you push air through your mouth, nose, and throat. An obstacle in your airway can cause these tissues to shake against each other as air moves through your soft palate, tonsils, adenoids, and tongue. The vibrations make an echoing, rattling noise. Factors that cause airway blockage include:
- Beverages that have alcohol and certain medications calm down your muscles, limiting airflow through your mouth, nose and throat.
- Snoring is common with elderly people as muscle tone decreases, causing airways to shrink.
- Big tonsils, enlarged adenoids, or a large tongue can make it difficult for air to flow through your nose and mouth. A deviated septum can also obstruct the flow of air.
- Nasal congestion because of the common cold and allergies blocks airflow through your mouth and nose.
If snoring happens with apneic episodes and other symptoms, such as exhaustion or irritability, then you should check with a neurologist from the neurosciences department.
Causes of insomnia
The factors that could cause Sleep Disorders such as insomnia include the following:
- It often seems to run in families.
- Physical health can affect your ability to sleep, such as minor infections or injuries, or chronic conditions like Parkinson’s disease and acid reflux.
- Your sleep habits can cause insomnia. That includes whether or not you take naps, when you go to sleep, when you drink caffeine, or any other habits.
Know if insomnia and snoring are dangerous diseases
Snoring is one of the common Sleep Disorders conditions and it is usually not dangerous. But if you have shrill, chronic snoring that interferes with sleep, it can point out a more serious problem. Additional symptoms such as irritability, daytime fatigue, gasping for air in your sleep or headaches might point to sleep apnea.
On the other hand, insomnia can increase your risk of weight gain, depression, and obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and memory and concentration problems. It can even make you look older. Even though insomnia is not that risky, it can increase your chances of falling, or missing work, or having an accident. Moreover, Sleep Disorders like chronic insomnia can affect how well your brain, heart, and other parts of your body function. It can increase your risk of certain health problems or make existing problems bad.
How to treat Sleep Disorders?
Several ways are there to treat Sleep Disorders such as insomnia and snoring, ranging from simple changes in your lifestyle and habits to several medications. The main approaches to treating such Sleep Disorders are:
- Developing and practicing good sleep habits
- Medications that help you fall or stay asleep
- Mental healthcare
If any of these approaches do not work, then it is always better to consult with Neurosciences experts.
FAQ
Can a pregnant woman experience sleep disorders?
Being pregnant can significantly affect your ability to sleep as pregnancy causes changes throughout your body, including hormonal, physical, and psychological effects. These can affect your sleep routine and make it difficult to get enough quality sleep. If you are pregnant and you are having issues sleeping, you should consult with your doctor.
Conclusion
Sleep Disorders like insomnia and snoring are not that life-threatening; but, you should consult with a doctor from the Neurosciences department if snoring or insomnia bothers your sleep or results in issues like pain, exhaustion, or gasping for air. They can conduct tests to determine if you have sleep apnea or another kind of sleep-disordered breathing.
