Sleep Difficulty: Common Causes and Treatment Options

Sleep Difficulty

Doctors recommend that adults get at least seven hours of deep restorative sleep every single night. The only problem with this is that many people have underlying conditions that are causing them to not get enough sleep at night. Sleeplessness and sleep deprivation can cause a number of problems – from extreme fatigue to death. Yes, conditions like obstructive sleep apnea can not only make you feel overly tired when you get up in the morning, they can also send your body into hypoxic shock, which means there isn’t enough oxygen in the bloodstream. This is why it is so critical to find out why you are having difficulty sleeping and then find a solution.

Here are some common causes and treatment options for different sleep disorders.

First and foremost, it is important to get to the bottom of why you are having trouble sleeping. Many people suffer from insomnia. It is important to know that insomnia can have many different causes – from physical health conditions to emotional stressors. For instance, stress at work can cause insomnia symptoms, which are classified as not being able to fall asleep and trouble to stay asleep. If you are getting up multiple times in the middle of the night, you most likely have some form of insomnia.

Finding a solution for the comorbid condition, which could be anything from depression to heartburn, can cure insomnia. For instance, if you are suffering from clinical depression symptoms, you may want to see a psychiatrist to prescribe you medication. If you are against medications, you may want to see a psychologist get to the bottom of why you are depressed. If you have some kind of physical health condition, you want to visit your physician to find a treatment option for whatever you are diagnosed with.

Another incredibly common sleep disorder is called obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is obstructive because it is caused by an enlarged muscle that is attached to the tongue, called the glottis. When we sleep, our throats are relaxed, which in some people can cause this enlarged muscle to block the airways. This can happen multiple times per night. Sleep apnea creates a domino effect of health conditions – from extreme fatigue, heart attacks, and even stroke. One of the only truly effective treatments is CPAP, which stands for ‘continuous positive airway pressure.’ You can purchase a machine from a company – after a few days of treatment, most of your symptoms will completely disappear.

In the end, sleep is important, so it is critical that you find a solution and a remedy for any conditions or disorders that may be getting in the way of your being able to get a full night of sleep. First, though, it is important to get diagnosed. You don’t want to guess, because that could lead you to a false diagnosis. In some cases, you can test yourself for sleep apnea by purchasing a home sleep test. When it comes to insomnia and other sleep conditions, you want to visit a sleep doctor to get to the bottom of your condition. In the end, no one deserves to not get enough sleep.