Sleeping Difficulties and Sleep Disorders

‘I wake often during the night and then feel unrefreshed in the morning and sleepy by midday’

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes people to find it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep through the night, or wake up in the morning. As the most common sleep difficulty, insomnia is often experienced along with stress, depression or anxiety. It is essential to determine the underlying factors that may be causing, or contributing to insomnia.

“I fall asleep when I least expect to”

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterised by extreme tiredness and causes people to fall asleep during the day. Narcolepsy often results in the sudden, and involuntary, onset of napping.

“I awake frequently through the night following leg movements and then feel so tired during the day”

Periodic limb movement disorder results in frequent movement and spasms of the legs throughout the night, Many people wake themselves with the movements, though others are told about the movements by their bed partners.

“My legs are so uncomfortable and the urge to move them is uncontrollable”

Restless leg syndrome causes a cramp like irritation in the lower legs which creates a powerful urge to move. Although repositioning offers temporary relief from the sensation, the feelings often return with great frequency. Restless leg syndrome typically occurs most notably in the night time hours.

“I feel like my sleep is stolen from me”

Snoring is the hoarse sound of heavy breathing while asleep. It is important to rule out allergies, links to alcohol or other substances, high blood pressure and heart disease, among other health concerns, when experiencing snoring that causes you to lose sleep.

“I awake quickly, trying to catch my breath and gasping”

Sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to occur in stops and starts. As the quality of sleep is not restful, the morning can bring with it a dry mouth, headache, difficulty paying attention during the day and extreme sleepiness.

People may mistakenly view those with social anxiety as shy, disinterested or even rude when in fact it is fear that keeps them from engaging the way they would like to.

The most common risk factors for developing a sleeping difficulty include:

• Being over the age of 60
• Having a chronic disease, or being in pain
• Taking certain medications that interrupt sleep
• Being female
• Having anxiety, depression or long-term stress
• Drinking caffeine
• Routine exposure to blue light in the hours just before bed time
• Parenthood
• Travel across time zones
• A poor sleep environment
• Night shift work
• Eating too much late in the evening

Sleep difficulties are incredibly common and are said to affect 33-45% of Australian adults.

Behavioural therapy is one approach that can be helpful to people with sleep difficulties. It is possible to adjust lifestyle and behavioural factors that are contributing to a sleep difficulty in order to regain routinely peaceful nights of sleep.