What Are the Most Common Sleep Disorders and How to Treat Them?

Sleep is essential, yet for many, it remains elusive. Tossing and turning night after night, waking up groggy, or struggling to fall asleep can take a serious toll on both physical and mental health. If you’ve ever wondered why rest feels so hard to come by, you’re not alone. 

Sleep disorders affect millions of people worldwide, and they come in many forms. Each with its own causes, symptoms, and treatment options. In this guide, we’ll explore the most common sleep disorders and share practical, expert-backed strategies to help you reclaim the restful nights you deserve.

What is a Sleep Disorder?

A sleep disorder is any condition that disrupts your normal sleep patterns, making it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get restful sleep. These disorders can lead to chronic fatigue, mood changes, reduced focus, and even long-term health problems if left untreated.

Sure, we all have the odd night where we toss and turn, but with a disorder, it’s more than just the random bad night, it keeps showing up. It includes how long you sleep, how much time it takes you to fall asleep, and how well you sleep. 

A sleep disorder typically affects all these conditions. 

• Not getting enough sleep due to a sleep disorder impacts a person’s ability to function properly during the day. 

• A lack of sleep can also cause a myriad of health problems, like obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure. 

• A sleep disorder can often be the side effect of a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety.

People with sleep issues most likely experience at least one of the following signs:

• Extreme tiredness during the day

• Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep

• Irregular sleep and wake-up cycle

• Unexpected behaviors that impact your sleep

If you suffer from one or more of those, you likely have sleep disorders.

What are the Common Sleep Disorders

The most common sleep disorder is insomnia, but it’s not the only one. Below is a list of sleep disorders that often disrupt rest:

• Insomnia 

• Sleep apnea 

• Narcolepsy 

• Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

• Parasomnias 

• Shift Work Sleep Disorder

• Sleep-related breathing disorders 

An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans struggle with sleep disorders, and nearly one-third of adults fail to get the deep, uninterrupted rest needed for good health.

Insomnia

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, with ⅓ of adults experiencing symptoms. It impacts your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can either be transient or chronic. 

• Transient insomnia happens after a difficult life event that triggers stress. 

• Chronic insomnia is a long-term sleep problem. If you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep at least three nights a week for three weeks or more, it’s considered chronic insomnia.

What causes insomnia?

There are various causes of insomnia, such as:

• Stress

• Poor sleep hygiene

• Travel or work schedule

• Medical conditions

• Hormonal changes

• Eating too much food late at night

What are the symptoms of insomnia?

If you think you may be suffering from insomnia, you will experience the following symptoms:

• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night

• Problem in getting enough sleep 

• Consistently waking up early

• Experiencing excessive daytime tiredness

• More irritable or anxious

• Headaches and tense muscles

How to treat insomnia?

When looking for insomnia treatment, the first step is usually making simple lifestyle changes. Reducing stress, improving sleep habits, or addressing medical conditions can often ease the problem without further help. If these changes don’t work, other treatments may be recommended, such as:

• Relaxation techniques, like muscle relaxation and breathing exercises

• Medication to treat anxiety, like antidepressants

• Cognitive behavior therapy, which improves mental health

• Sleep restriction to limit the amount of time you spend in bed throughout the day

• Stimulus control therapy, which eliminates factors that condition your mind to resist sleep

It is important to consult with a doctor to find the correct course of treatment, as insomnia varies for each person.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep breathing disorder that causes your airway to become blocked. People with sleep apnea stop breathing throughout the night and often wake up choking or gasping for air. It can lead to excessive daytime tiredness. 

There are two types of sleep apnea: 

1. Obstructive sleep apnea: It happens due to physical obstruction of the airway from large tonsils, fluid buildup, or genetic conditions.

2. Central sleep apnea: It happens when the brain stops sending breathing signals, which causes choking.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Loud snoring

• Waking up gasping for air or choking

• Dry or sore throat during the night

• Excessive daytime tiredness

• Frequent headaches or irritability

Remember, sleep apnea is a serious and life-threatening sleep disorder, so it’s crucial to see a doctor for treatment.

How to treat sleep apnea?

There are several ways to treat sleep apnea, depending on the cause and severity of the condition.

• CPAP therapy: A CPAP machine delivers steady air through a mask or nasal prongs to keep the airway open while you sleep.

• Oral appliances: These devices move the jaw forward to keep the throat open and reduce snoring.

• Surgery: In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove or shrink tissue or to reposition the jaw. This is usually considered only when other treatments fail.

• Weight management: Because sleep apnea is often linked to excess weight, losing weight can ease symptoms.

Other lifestyle changes, such as exercising, avoiding alcohol and sleeping medication, stopping smoking, and sleeping on your side, can help relieve sleep apnea symptoms.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is one of the sleep disorders caused by low levels of hypocretin, a brain chemical that regulates sleep. People with narcolepsy may suddenly fall asleep during daily activities such as eating, talking, working, or even driving. This condition can disrupt work, strain social life, and increase the risk of serious accidents.

What are the symptoms of narcolepsy?

Common symptoms include:

• Sudden sleep attacks without warning

• Excessive daytime drowsiness

• Episodes of sleep paralysis

• Cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle control)

• Disrupted nighttime sleep

• Hallucinations while falling asleep or waking up

How to treat narcolepsy?

There is no single cure for narcolepsy, but treatments can help manage symptoms and improve daily life. Since the condition affects people differently, some may even notice their symptoms improve with age. Here are what you can do to relieve narcolepsy symptoms:

• Take short naps throughout the day to reduce daytime sleepiness

• Improve sleep hygiene

• Avoid alcohol and other sedatives

• Exercise and eat healthy

• Take medication, such as modafinil and armodafinil

Restless Leg Syndrome, or RLS

Restless Leg Syndrome, or RLS, is a sleep disorder that causes uncomfortable feelings in the legs. These feelings can cause you to continuously move your legs while sleeping. People with RLS may also experience itching, crawling, aching, or burning in the legs. Walking or moving your legs can relieve RLS symptoms.

 However, the condition worsens when you’re inactive, such as sleeping. This can disrupt your sleep and cause fatigue.

What are the common symptoms of RLS?

• Irresistible Urge to Move

• Irresistible urges to move your legs

• Daytime Fatigue and mood disturbance

• Crawling or itching feeling in your legs

How to treat RLS symptoms?

There are various treatments to relieve RLS symptoms, such as:

• Improve sleep hygiene

• Exercise regularly

• Limit or avoid alcohol and caffeine

• Try massages or warm baths before bed

• Use medications such as dietary supplements or dopamine-promoting drugs (under a doctor’s guidance)

• Consider pneumatic pressure therapy, a compression device that improves blood flow in the legs
  

Parasomnias

Parasomnias are unusual behaviors that occur before falling asleep, during sleep, or in the moments between sleep and wakefulness. They often appear as the brain shifts between rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep cycles.

There are different types of parasomnias:

• NREM-related parasomnias: Happen in the early stages of sleep and may cause confusional arousals, sleepwalking, or night terrors.

• REM-related parasomnias: Occur during REM sleep and may include vivid nightmares, sleep paralysis, or REM sleep behavior disorder.

What are the symptoms of parasomnias?

You may suffer from parasomnias if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty sleeping through the night

• Extremely tired during the day

• Wake up confused or disoriented

• Strange cuts or bruises on your body

• Unusual movements, expressions, or vocalizations you did while sleeping

How are parasomnias treated? 

In order to treat parasomnias, you have to determine what triggers them. Some treatments for parasomnias include:

• Practicing good sleep hygiene

• Avoiding alcohol

• Medication, such as clonazepam and melatonin, to control REM sleep disorders

• Taking safety precautions, like keeping your environment safe, such as removing dangerous items from the nightstand and using floor pads to prevent injuries

Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD)

Shift Work Sleep Disorder or SWSD is another symptom of sleep problems. It is a condition that impacts people who work nights, early mornings, or rotating shifts. This can cause someone to be excessively tired or even try to sleep during their shifts. 

SWSD is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder that disrupts the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Its effects vary depending on work schedules. 

For example, someone working night shifts may experience different symptoms than someone on early morning shifts.

What are the common symptoms of SWSD?

You may have ‘shift work sleep disorder’ if you experience:

• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

• Decline in work performance

• Mood swings or irritability

• Increased health problems

• Fatigue, low energy, or low libido

• Frequent headaches

How to treat or manage SWSD?

Managing SWSD often requires lifestyle adjustments, such as:

• Reducing light exposure on the way home after night shifts

• Keeping consistent bedtime rituals, even on days off

• Practicing good sleep hygiene

• Minimizing distractions like noise and bright light in your sleep environment

• Avoiding long commutes when possible

• Prioritizing enough sleep on days off

• Taking short naps before starting a night shift

Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

Sleep-related breathing disorders make it difficult to breathe properly while sleeping. Chronic snoring is one common sign, but these conditions can also include obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, snoring, catathrenia, and more.

What are the symptoms of sleep-related breathing disorders?

Common symptoms of sleep-related breathing disorders include:

• Excessive daytime tiredness

• Teeth grinding at night

• Waking up choking or gasping for air

• Morning headaches

• Recent or unexplained weight gain

How to treat sleep-related breathing disorders?

Treatment often depends on the severity of the condition, but common options include:

• Weight loss and regular exercise to improve airway function

• Avoiding smoking, which reduces airway irritation

• Sleeping on your side instead of your back to prevent airway blockage

• Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) devices, which deliver pressurized air to keep the airway open during sleep

How to Recognize Common Sleep Disorders

It’s crucial to properly treat a sleep disorder to improve a person’s quality of sleep. The first step is understanding common sleep disorders. If you feel you’re suffering from a sleep problem, discuss your symptoms with a healthcare provider. The doctor may examine you.

• Ask you to keep a sleep diary to identify exactly which disorder you suffer from. 

• Advise you to go to a sleep disorder clinic or have a sleep study done.

Overall, it’s important to pay close attention to your sleep habits so that you can find the correct course 

of treatment.

Wrapping Up

A good night’s rest is essential for health, focus, and energy. Yet many people experience sleep issues caused by conditions ranging from insomnia to parasomnias. If you notice signs of a disorder, don’t ignore them; seek treatment and make changes that support better sleep.

You can also check out the MedCline blog for more sleep tips. MedCline offers a variety of products, including:

• A shoulder pain relief system: a pillow designed specifically to help you sleep better by relieving pressure on your shoulder. 

• MedCline also has an acid reflux relief system that can help reduce chest pain while sleeping. 

Sleep problems should not be taken lightly. Take the proper steps to treat them today.