What is a sleep disorder and what is it caused by?

What are the symptoms of a sleep disorder?

The symptoms of a sleep disorder can vary depending on the type of disorder, but in general they can include a range of physical and psychological symptoms.

Physical symptoms:

• fatigue;
• Airlessness: this symptom is typical of sleep apnea;
• morning headaches;
• tachycardia and general physical malaise;
• abrupt awakenings during the night.

Psychological symptoms:

• difficulty concentrating;
• unstable mood;
• apathy;
• nervousness and irritability;
• disturbance of attention and memory: especially with prolonged insomnia;
• excessive daytime sleepiness;
• mood disorders and anxiety.

What are the causes of sleep disorders?

A sleep disorder can be caused by multiple factors, including:

• anxiety, stress, daily worries;
• recurrent thoughts;
• traumatic events (e.g., bereavement);
• family, work or health problems;
• bad habits such as excessive or evening-hour intake of substances (such as coffee, alcohol, nicotine);
• inadequate nutrition;
• sports activity in the hours before bedtime;
• excessive use of electronic devices;
• physical problems such as chronic pain, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome or other medical conditions;
• predisposing factors such as: older age, familiarity with the disorder, tendency to be hyper-vigilant;
• – inadequate sleep environment (e.g. loud noise, inappropriate light and temperature).

What are the types of sleep disorders?

A sleep disorder can be classified into several categories. Here are the main ones:

Insomnia

This is one of the most common sleep disorders and is characterized by difficulty falling asleep or continuous and frequent awakenings during the night.

Sleep-related breathing disorders (DRS).

These disorders are characterized by problems with breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea is a common example.

Hypersomnias of central origin

These disorders are characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness that is not due to a circadian rhythm disorder or sleep-related breathing.

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

These disorders are caused by a malfunction of the body’s internal biological clock.

Parasonnias

These disorders are characterized by unwanted behaviors that occur during sleep, such as sleepwalking and nightmares.

Sleep-related movement disorders

These disorders are characterized by physical movements during sleep, such as restless legs syndrome.

How to treat sleep disorders?

Followed by a specialist, a sleep disorder can be treated through drug therapy or other practices, let’s look at them below.

Psychotherapy

Through the guidance of a professional, it is good to target to identify and modify negative thoughts and behaviors associated with discontinuous or problematic sleep, promoting healthy habits and regular sleep routines.

Sleep hygiene

This practice includes adopting healthy habits such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a quiet and comfortable sleeping environment, avoiding caffeine and alcohol intake before bedtime, practicing relaxing activities before bedtime, and limiting the use of electronic screens before bedtime.

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