Common Sleep Problems

There are many sleep issues that affect a lot of us every night and carry on through the working day as we feel the effects. This can range from simple problems with our sleeping arrangements or more serious issues such as sleeping disorders.

Some of these issues can be solved by changing our environment or the bed that we sleep in, others require a much more serious approach as they’re not so simple.

Booths brings you some common sleep problems that many of us suffer from with a couple of solutions that may help.

“Common sleep problems range from

simple problems with our sleeping

arrangements or more serious issues

such as sleeping disorders.”

Back/Neck Pain

One of the more common problems that comes with sleeping poorly or on an old mattress. Waking up with a pain in your back and neck seems like a common occurrence for many and is often brushed off. But try to take a look at your mattress, as that could be causing you the pain. If left not looked at then it could turn into more serious problems with your back and neck. It may be the case that you need to get a new mattress that will support your back and neck, such as a Tempur mattress.

The issue could also be caused by the way you’re sleeping, whether it’s the position, the amount of pillows used or if your bed is too small. Try and evaluate your environment and make changes where needed.

Insomnia

As the most common sleep disorder, more than half of all people have experienced insomnia symptoms with about 10% of people suffering from chronic insomnia.

Symptoms include difficulty going to sleep, waking up in the middle of the night with trouble getting back to sleep and waking up earlier in the morning than initially planned. On a regular basis this can have troubling effects on your daily life. Such as lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, daytime sleepiness, even depression in some cases and many more.

Insomnia can often go away on it’s own or be cured by practising better sleep habits yourself. Speak to your doctor if you feel like you’re suffering from insomnia and see what they can do to help alleviate the situation.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS a neurological disorder that’s characterised by a persistent need to move your legs while resting. This often feels like a creeping, aching or throbbing feeling through the legs and only stops after temporary movement of the legs.

This can have a huge impact on the ability to get to sleep, as the constant need to move the legs stops you from relaxing. Resulting in a severe lack of sleep for those who are affected.

Treatment for this disorder ranges from improving your health via regular exercise, cutting back on alcohol and caffeine and regular baths while massaging the legs. Other treatments include visiting your doctor to see if they’d advice prescribing you with some medication that can sometimes help sooth the feeling.

Sleep Apnea

As the second most prevalent sleep disorder, sleep apnea is when a person’s breathing stops for several seconds due to a blockage in the upper respiratory system. This can lead to loud snoring, choking or gasping until sleeping resumes normally.

As this happens the brain forces itself awake to remove the blockage, meaning that you wake up several times a night. Your quality of sleep is severely affected and will leave sufferers extremely tired most of the day. Even more serious results of sleep apnea would be the stress of the heart, resulting in an increased chance of heart attack or heart failure.

As with many of the disorders, health is a major factor, try to diet and exercise more to reduce the risks of sleep apnea. Cut back on alcohol and quit smoking entirely and try to sleep on your safe side, which means avoiding sleeping on your back where it’ll be harder for you to breathe at night. Always consult your doctor, as they’ll have treatments you can undertake that’ll help the situation out.

Are you or a loved one suffering from sleep problems?

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