A sleep disorder is a disturbance in the normal development of sleep.
The causes of a sleep disorder can be internal or external.
By definition:
- Noisy neighbors.
- A crying newborn baby.
- To make guards during the night or to work in night shifts.
It is necessary to see the cause that causes it, to identify it, to see if it is possible to act on it and to remedy it.
What types of sleep disorders are there?
There are a multitude of sleep disorders:
- Disorders of respiratory cause: for example, alterations in nasal breathing, turbinate hypertrophy, deviated septum, hinder proper nasal breathing.
- Respiratory disorders due to apnea: during sleep, there is a relaxation of the muscles of the mouth and pharynx, which leads to a collapse of the airway.
This cause is closely related to overweight, but there are anatomical causes that can worsen them, such as tonsil hypertrophy, alterations in the shape of the jaw (retrognathia).
- Disorders due to mood or anxiety disorders:
Mood: depressive moods, or excessive euphoria, can cause serious sleep problems.
Anxiety: Excessive anxiety makes it difficult to reconcile and maintain adequate sleep.
- Disorders of intrinsic origin:
Narcolepsy: there is a group of neurons in charge of wake-sleep maintenance, which function inadequately, causing uncontrollable sleep attacks, or cataplexy phenomena (Loss of muscle tone).
Restless legs syndrome: there is a deficiency of brain substances, which cause the imperious need to move the legs during the night, impairing the development of sleep.
Cognitive impairment disorders: cognitive impairment causes significant sleep disturbances, such as sleep cycle reversal (asleep during the day and agitated at night).
- Disorders due to bad habits: the perpetuation of bad sleep habits, such as going to bed too late, getting up too early, taking naps too long, excessive intake of stimulant beverages, always leads to sleep deficit. If we sleep few hours during the night; during the day we will remain sleepy, with a lower performance, and in the long run, chronic problems of insomnia either of conciliation, maintenance or both.
- Pain: acute or chronic pain, with ineffective or insufficient treatment, does not allow adequate sleep onset and maintenance.
What are the usual causes? Are they physical or do they also have to do with habits?
Most sleep disorders are due to bad habits that are maintained over time. Another important part are respiratory disorders, closely related to overweight.
On the other hand, undiagnosed and undertreated pain also plays a role.
Therefore, it is necessary to differentiate between the physical part and that which corresponds to bad habits, since both causes often converge.
When should we see a specialist?
We should see a specialist in Clinical Neurophysiology when the deterioration of nocturnal sleep has repercussions on our daily life during the day. In other words, when it makes it difficult for us to carry out our basic functions correctly.
How is the treatment of sleep disorders?
The most important thing is to be aware that there is a problem, find out the cause that generates this problem and act on it. For example, if the cause is bad habits, it is the easiest thing to correct, but at the same time the most difficult because, in general, we do not want to change our lifestyle.
If the cause is respiratory, a decrease in weight will help a lot. If, in spite of this, apneas continue to occur, other actions will be necessary, such as mandibular advancement devices, bed posture modifiers, or even CPAP (positive airway pressure), which is a device that prevents the collapse of the airway during sleep.
On the other hand, if the cause is due to excessive anxiety or a depressed mood, we must try to eliminate the cause that generates this anxiety or depression and, in many cases, take medication on an ad hoc basis.
Can they be avoided?
Sleep is a part of our life, specifically one third.
Sleep disorders cannot be avoided, since we have the weight we have, the peculiar anatomy of each one of us and our personal, family and work circumstances.
However, we can sort out our sleep patterns, our nocturnal sleep patterns, identify our problems and put a solution to them on most occasions.
Do you think there is currently an increase in the number of people suffering from sleep disorders? What type of people does it usually affect?
Of course it does. The course of this COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years has wreaked havoc. There has been overexcitement, overinformation, and enormous collective fear. Many people have coped very poorly with these circumstances, so stress and anxiety levels have increased tremendously.
It tends to affect people with a propensity for anxiety and mood disorders more frequently and more intensely.
Being overweight is also very harmful because it increases obstructive respiratory disorders during the night and worsens joint pain. In the same way, a very sedentary life is also detrimental in the medium to long term.
Sleep is an accurate reflection of our lifestyle.