Do you have difficulty sleeping? If yes, don't stress out because you're not alone.
Though sleeping and falling asleep seem to be the most natural thing to do some people suffer from sleeping problems and disorders that eventually impact their quality of life.
Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, RLS and Narcolepsy The most common sleeping problem is insomnia where a person finds himself frequently waking up during the night or his sleep being light and fragmented.
Someone with this problem will wake up tired instead of feeling refreshed.
Insomnia is often a sign of other problems like stress and anxiety, depression, medications, lack of exercise, excessive caffeine (for coffee and soda pop drinkers).
The visible impacts of insomnia are sleepiness and low energy levels during the day.
A person who didn't have a good night's sleep may become irritable and have a low mood - or become bad company.
Meanwhile, sleep disorders include sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and narcolepsy.
Of the three the more common is apnea where the afflicted person temporarily stops breathing during sleep because the airways are blocked.
RLS, on the other hand, takes place when there is a strong urge to move the legs or arms when lying down because of uncomfortable sensations or body aches.
Uncontrollable sleepiness during the day - whether at work or play - is another disorder called narcolepsy.
This is a very dangerous sleep disorder as sleepiness occurs even while driving and may cause accidents.
Addressing the problem Sleeping problems and disorders affects a person's emotional balance, energy and overall health.
Thus ignoring these problems is not smart as it may lead to accidents (example, driving accidents and work accidents) or affect work performance (falling asleep in front of the computer or during lunch hour conferences, low energy in the workplace) While people with sleep disorders need to consult their family doctors, there are ways to address these problems on your own.
If a person suspects he has a sleeping problem he should initiate keeping a sleep journal to track sleeping habits and patterns.
This journal will be beneficial in identifying the type of disorder a person has and will be helpful in the event that a doctor's consultation is needed.
Improving sleeping habits and developing a routine will eventually help.
Human beings are after all creatures of habits.
Experts have agreed that healthy sleeping hours should be around 7-8 hours to feel reinvigorated and refreshed.
Sticking to a regular sleeping time everyday from Monday to Sunday will help develop a good habit.
Also make sure that the bedroom is conducive for sleeping which means it is cool, quiet and dark.
Some people have also the habit of going to bed with their iPods, tablets or e-books.
Doctors have frowned on this and recommend that people should keep wired devices off the bedroom.
Hopefully, these self-help tips will improve sleeping problems.
However, a family doctor should be consulted when the disorder is narcolepsy and the self-help tips have not improved the condition; when apnea causes gasping or choking at night; or when a person suddenly falls asleep while talking or eating - or even while walking.
How about sleeping pills? Sleeping pills should always be taken under a doctor's supervision.
There are also herbal sleeping pills available in stores.
In purchasing prescription or over the counter sleeping pills, whether herbal or not, be sure to read the labels and instruction for dosage, side effects, etc.
It is highly recommended that sleeping pills should not be taken when a person does not have enough time for 7-8 hours of sleep.
It is also important that a person who has consumed sleeping pills not to drive a car or operate machinery.
While sleeping pills might be helpful, it is not a long term solution and may even aggravate insomnia.