9.4 Addressing Sleep Concerns

Signs of a Sleep Disorder

Common signs of a sleep disorder include:

• It frequently takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.
• You awaken frequently when sleeping and then have trouble falling back to sleep.
• You awaken too early.
• You frequently don’t feel well rested despite sleeping seven to eight hours or more.
• You feel sleepy during waking hours and fall asleep within five minutes if you have an opportunity to nap, or you fall asleep at inappropriate times.
• You snore loudly, snort, gasp, or make choking sounds while you sleep, or your breathing stops for short periods.
• You have creeping, tingling, or crawling feelings in your legs that are relieved by moving or massaging them, especially in the evening when you try to fall asleep.
• You have vivid, dreamlike experiences while falling asleep or dozing.
• You have episodes of sudden muscle weakness when you are angry or fearful, or when you laugh.
• You feel as though you can’t move when you first wake up.
• Your legs or arms jerk often during sleep.
• You regularly need to use stimulants to stay awake during your day.

If you consistently have trouble sleeping or experience excessive daytime sleepiness even after making changes to your sleep environment, physical activity levels, stress management strategies, and sleep schedule, speaking to a trusted healthcare professional about the potential of a sleep disorder could be beneficial. Diagnosing sleep disorders requires a trained professional to ask questions about health history and family history, perform an examination, and conduct laboratory testing. Though sleep disorders have symptoms in common, treatment should be tailored to the unique needs of the individual. Depending on the symptoms, sleep disorders can be effectively addressed with the help of a professional through behavioral changes, medications, herbal supplements, relaxation techniques, light therapy, use of a machine known as a CPAP for sleep apnea, and sleep hygiene—learning about the factors that impact sleep like light, temperature, schedule, and environment (Abad & Guilleminault, 2003). Sleep disorders can negatively impact sleep quality and having a sleep disorder is nothing to be ashamed of.

Expert Perspective: How to Address a Potential Sleep Disorder with a Friend or Family Member

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