Sleep Disorders are affecting people around the world by the millions, yet most don't realize how wide spread they really are. You could be suffering from one and perhaps not even know it. Here's some information to help you understand the various categories of disorders out there.

 

It is estimated that in America alone there are roughly 80 million people who suffer from sleep problems of one form or another. Add to that the millions of other people around the world and the problem starts to seem much larger than most realize. Getting rest is so critical to our health and well being, yet we shrug off our lack of rest as something minor. However, one article discussing sleeplessness and the economy mentioned that lack of sleep costs the American economy approximately $45 billion annually in lost productivity, health care costs and expenses related to traffic accidents. The costs come close to those of illnesses like depression or stroke according to the article. Again, add to that the cost in other countries and the impact of sleep disorders takes on a whole new level.

 

Sleep problems are nothing new, but in our society of longer work weeks, faster pace of living, loss of downtime and rise in stress we're seeing the number of people stricken with sleep issues rise dramatically. Unfortunately, the scientific community has only recently begun to understand sleep as a biological mechanism and so our knowledge of how it works and how to fix it when broken is something of a work in progress.

 

The sleep disorders that can affect us are varied. In fact, many do not realize they even have a classifiable sleep issue. So to help with that let's look at some of the types of sleep disorders that can affect us.

 

 

Insomnia is perhaps the most widely known. Insomnia is used to discuss sleep issues ranging from being unable to fall asleep easily to falling asleep but being unable to remain asleep for the night to not sleeping at all for nights on end. This is probably an area of diagnosis that could use some subdivision and clarification. However, the main commonality is that the normal patterns of sleep are disturbed and the person afflicted cannot get the proper quantity and quality of sleep in a given night.

 

Another category of sleep disorders are those that interrupt sleep. They are not specifically a lack of sleep like insomnia but are really associated conditions that affect sleep. Sleep Apnea is one example, where the ability to breath during sleep is impacted which in turn disturbs the sleep cycles. Restless Leg Syndrome is another where the person has a disorder with the urge to move their legs when at rest. When the symptoms occur at night they can create a form of insomnia where the person is unable to settle down and fall asleep. Chronic Nightmares, Sleepwalking, etc. are all sleep problems that fit into this category.

 

The final category we'll discuss is somewhat the opposite of these previous ones. Narcolepsy is actually excessive sleeping. Not just that you feel like taking a nap during the day...many of us feel that way from time to time. The disorder is actually the inability to stay awake...as if the brain suddenly shifts into sleep mode periodically during the day. This can make living a normal life difficult for those affected.

 

This is by far not a comprehensive list of each disorder...one neurology website put the number of distinct sleep disorders at around 70, but is more an overview of the main categories they fit in to help you understand how they affect sleep.

 

The good news is that progress is being made on being able to diagnose and treat these various sleep problems. The bad news is that it is still a relatively undeveloped area of medicine and the number of people affected but undiagnosed is high. Also, it is an area where all too often the knee jerk reaction is to prescribe medication to treat the disorder's symptoms without dealing with root causes. Therapy and lifestyle changes can often be of more long term benefit particularly for people dealing with insomnia which is the majority of those suffering sleep problems.

 

One area that is also overlooked in treating sleep disorders is that changes in diet, exercise and using sleep focused natural supplements can also be beneficial in long term restoration of good sleep. This also helps avoid many of the side effect or addictive qualities of drugs. More work needs to be done here by the medical community to help incorporate these into the treatment regimen. Until then, self education along with seeing a knowledgeable medical provider is key in helping recapture your lost sleep.