Top 5 Sleep Disorders You Need to Know About

Have you ever felt that your snoring was interfering with your relationships? If you have, then you're not alone. Sleep disorders of any kind can be a real problem for lots of different people. Thankfully, a lot of new advances in technology have been made to help treat them.

There are over eighty sleep disorders that can affect an individual. Below are the five most prominent ones.

1) Insomnia

Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. People who get insomnia only a few times a month or year have occasional insomnia. People who get insomnia more than 4 or 5 nights a month have chronic insomnia.

The causes of insomnia are many, including stress, anxiety, worry, depression, medications, illness, pain, and certain sleep disorders.

Symptoms of insomnia include:

• Waking up during the night
• Waking up too early
• Not getting enough sleep
• Having difficulty falling asleep
• Waking up tired in the morning
• Lack of energy and irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor memory
• Depression or feeling anxious

2) Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that affects nearly 1.5 million Brits and one billion people around the globe.

The disorder happens when the sleeper's breathing is interrupted during sleep. In severe cases, the sleeper may stop breathing hundreds of times a night.

Although sleep apnea isn't life-threatening, it can have serious health consequences, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression and headaches.

Sleep apnea is more common in men than women, and the risk increases with age.

3) Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a fairly common sleep disorder. It is caused by an abnormality in the brain's sleep-wake cycle.

Most people with RLS feel tired, restless, or uncomfortable in their legs and often experience an overwhelming urge to move their legs. The condition typically begins in late childhood or early adulthood.

It affects an estimated 2 to 4 percent of adults. About 50 percent to 70 percent of people with RLS have it in both legs. Women are more likely to have the condition than men.

4) REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder in which people act out their dreams while they are asleep. These dreams often include walking, talking, or running, as well as actions such as kicking, punching, and even sexual actions.

RBD can occur at any age but usually begins after the age of 30. Between 0.5 to 1% of adults in the UK have RBD at some point in their lives.

5) Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which a person, while awake, experiences an overwhelming urge to sleep. The urge typically comes on suddenly, and the person feels compelled to sleep.

People with narcolepsy experience sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep lasting between 10 and 30 minutes. These episodes can occur at any time of the day or night.

Narcolepsy can be classified into two types: cataplexy and hypocretin.