8 Sleep Disorder Warning Signs

Admin in Health Tips December 29, 2020

Getting a good night’s rest has never been more essential considering how fast-paced all our lives have become. But by welcoming the chaotic lifestyle, people have also unknowingly taken on a rather unwanted guest – sleep disorders. In simple terms, sleep disorders are problems that disrupt your natural sleep circle, mess with your internal body clock, and cause issues like inadequate sleep. Not only will these disorders have an impact on your physical health (because of the lack of rest your body suffers from), but also on your mental health as it will affect how you feel through the day. Common sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, sleepwalking, etc. However, more often than not, these problems are treatable and can be spotted with a few warning signs like these:

Inappropriate timings: If you catch yourself falling asleep at inappropriate times such as the middle of the day or while driving, you must visit your doctor. In some cases, you might fall asleep without a warning which is not only dangerous but also harmful for your long-term health. Inappropriate timings of sleep might also include not being able to differentiate between being wide awake and sleeping which further causes confusion and tiredness.

Tiredness: One of the most common symptoms lack of sleep causes is intense fatigue. Getting proper rest is important to avoid feeling irritable and too exhausted to complete daily activities with complete focus. The depleted energy in your body can also lead to you trying to find a quick fix by falling asleep during the day and taking small naps. However, this further damages the sleep cycle and causes irregularity in your sleep pattern.

Breathing problems: Experiencing any form of breathlessness (gasping, choking, etc) in your sleep is worth taking note of. This is because episodes of not being able to breathe in your sleep is a strong sign of sleep apnea. This is coupled with strong snoring and waking up with a relatively dry mouth when you are suffering from a sleep disorder.

Mild/strong headaches: Lack of sleep commonly causes headaches throughout the day. Some people might experience migraine headaches while others might have ‘wake-up’ headaches which, as the name suggests, get triggered as soon as you wake up in the morning – in either case, these headaches will not only be repetitive but also take a few hours for recovery.

Random weight gain: Some of our hormones get horribly imbalanced if and when our bodies don’t receive a full night’s sleep. This hormonal disbalance also leads to feeling hungry at odd times or not being able to feel full – leading to unhealthy snacking and in turn, weight gain. Being sleepy through the day will also have you reaching out for caffeinated drinks and other unhealthy items that further contribute to the problem.

Low concentration: Due to excessive fatigue and lack of proper rest, your body faces productivity issues. But these issues aren’t purely physical. Mental fatigue also causes lower concentration, bad memory, low motivation, and a lot more problems that will hinder daily activities and give rise to more irritability as opposed to a calm state of mind.

Awake without a reason: If you repeatedly have tiring days and yet struggle to fall asleep, there might be a problem. Insomnia does not allow the body to relax and get the rest needed – no matter how tired it may be. Likewise, it also causes the person to not get enough sleep to feel well-rested enough due to restlessness or constantly waking up which leads to severe exhaustion throughout the next day.

Moving in your sleep: Small, unnoticeable movements in your sleep are probably not a cause to worry about. However, moving your limbs in your sleep restlessly, sleepwalking, throwing punches, or finding strong urges to move your body at night are definitely symptoms of sleep disorders that could range from Restless Leg Syndrome to REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder. These may also cause consistent pains in your legs due to increased movements at night and need to be treated.

A full night’s sleep is vital for the proper functioning of the body and it’s important to watch out for any of these signs if you’re not able to sleep well before they grow into worse issues.