10 Common Sleep Disorders (Symptoms & Causes Included)

Imagine it’s 3 AM, and you’re wide awake, staring at the roof.

You’ve tried everything—counting sheep, listening to soothing music, and even that warm cup of milk your grandma swore by. But nothing’s working. You know tomorrow is going to be tough because you’ve barely slept all week.

This scenario isn’t just frustrating; it’s something millions of people face every night due to common sleep disorders. From tossing with insomnia to suddenly gasping for air with sleep apnea, these disorders can take a serious toll on your daily life.

Let’s go into detail about what these sleep disorders are and how they might be affecting you more than you realize:

What Are Sleep Disorders?

Sleep disorders are medical conditions that disrupt your normal sleep patterns, making it difficult to get a good night's rest.

These disorders can affect the quality, timing, and amount of sleep you get, leading to various problems like daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and other health issues.

Some sleep disorders make it hard to fall asleep, while others cause you to wake up frequently during the night or feel excessively sleepy during the day.

If left untreated, sleep disorders can significantly impact your overall well-being and quality of life.

What Are Common Sleep Disorders?

Here is a list of common sleep disorders:

Insomnia

Insomnia is when you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. It can make you feel tired during the day, affect your mood, and make it hard to concentrate. Stress, anxiety, or certain habits like using electronics before bed can make insomnia worse.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where you briefly stop breathing multiple times during the night. This happens because your throat muscles relax too much or there's a blockage in your airway. These pauses in breathing can cause you to wake up suddenly, leaving you feeling tired during the day. It can also lead to other health problems if not treated.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Restless Legs Syndrome is a disorder that causes an uncomfortable feeling in your legs, usually in the evening or when you're lying down. This feeling makes you want to move your legs to relieve the discomfort, which can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. The cause isn't always clear, but it can be linked to certain medical conditions or lack of certain nutrients.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a condition that causes sudden and uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep during the day. People with narcolepsy may feel extremely tired all the time, and they might fall asleep in the middle of an activity, like talking or eating. It can be very disruptive to daily life and is caused by problems with the brain's ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders

Circadian rhythm disorders happen when your internal body clock, which controls when you sleep and wake up, is out of sync with your environment. For example, if you work night shifts or travel across time zones, your body might want to sleep during the day and stay awake at night, making it hard to get restful sleep.

Parasomnias

Parasomnias are unusual behaviors or experiences that happen while you’re falling asleep, sleeping, or waking up. This includes things like sleepwalking, night terrors, and sleep talking. These behaviors can be disruptive and sometimes even dangerous, like when someone sleepwalks out of the house.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder is a condition where you physically act out your dreams while in the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep. Normally, your muscles are relaxed during REM sleep, but with this disorder, you might kick, punch, or shout in your sleep, potentially hurting yourself or your sleeping partner.

Hypersomnia

Hypersomnia is the opposite of insomnia; it means you’re excessively sleepy during the day, even after a full night’s sleep. People with hypersomnia may take long naps during the day and tend to still feel drowsy and unfocused. This can interfere with work, school, and social activities.

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a temporary inability to move or speak when you’re either falling asleep or waking up. It can be scary because you might feel awake but be unable to move. This often comes with hallucinations, like feeling a presence in the room. Sleep paralysis usually lasts for a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

Sleep-related breathing disorders include conditions like snoring and more serious ones like sleep apnea. These disorders cause disruptions in your breathing during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality. Snoring can be harmless, but in some cases, it can be a sign of a more serious problem like sleep apnea.

Symptoms of Sleep Disorders

Symptoms of sleep disorders can vary depending on the type of disorder but often include:

1. Difficulty Falling Asleep: Struggling to fall asleep at night or taking a long time to drift off.
2. Frequent Nighttime Awakenings: Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep.
3. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness: Feeling very sleepy or drowsy during the day, even after a full night's sleep.
4. Loud Snoring or Gasping for Air: Loud snoring, choking, or gasping sounds during sleep, is often a sign of sleep apnea.
5. Restless Legs or Body Movements: An uncontrollable urge to move your legs, especially at night, or acting out dreams physically.
6. Sleepwalking or Talking in Sleep: Engaging in activities like walking or talking while asleep without remembering it the next day.
7. Unrefreshing Sleep: Feeling tired or unrefreshed upon waking, despite spending enough time in bed.
8. Trouble Concentrating: Difficulty focusing, paying attention, or making decisions due to poor sleep.
9. Mood Changes: Increased irritability, anxiety, or depression related to lack of sleep.
10. Irregular Sleep-Wake Patterns: Having an inconsistent sleep schedule or feeling out of sync with the natural day-night cycle.

What Causes Sleep Disorders?

Sleep disorders can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

1. Stress and Anxiety
2. Medical Conditions
3. Mental Health Disorders
4. Medications
5. Lifestyle Factors
6. Sleep Environment
7. Genetics
8. Sleep Apnea
9. Circadian Rhythm Disruptions

What Happens if I Don’t Get Enough Sleep?

Not getting enough sleep can lead to a variety of negative effects on your body and mind, including:

1. Daytime Fatigue
2. Difficulty Concentrating
3. Memory Problems
4. Mood Changes
5. Weakened Immune System
6. Increased Risk of Accidents
7. Weight Gain
8. High Blood Pressure
9. Diabetes Risk
10. Poor Physical Performance
11. Impaired Emotional Regulation
12. Long-term Health Issues

Over to You

Dealing with sleep disorders can feel like an endless cycle of exhaustion and frustration.

Whether it’s restless nights or groggy days, the impact on your life is real and hard to ignore.

But understanding what might be causing your sleepless nights is the first step towards finding a solution.

One effective solution to help manage sleep disorders is the Nightly app. It has personalized AI-generated Monaural Beats tailored to each individual to cater to each person’s sleep need and daytime activity. The app also offers the option to be able to have white noise playing to drown out all those background noises that could potentially make it hard for you to fall asleep. The Monaural Beats have neuroscience backed research proven to help improve the time of sleep onset by 18% and enhance deep sleep by 56%, letting you wake up feeling more energized and ready to start the day.

With this app, you can finally start enjoying the peaceful nights you’ve missed!