The best kind of rest
Wake up to the signs
What is the problem?
Sleep disorders are problems that cause you to:
If you have one or more of these, you may have a sleep disorder:
If any of these disorders sound like your problem, talk to your doctor about it.
sleep too much
feeling grumpy
sleep too little
morning headaches
have unrestful sleep
lack of concentration
Millions of people have sleep disorders. But many don’t know they have a disorder or that there is help for it. They may think it is OK to have restless or no sleep. They also may think it is OK to feel sleepy during the day. But a good night’s sleep makes you feel refreshed and awake during the day.
weight gain
If you do not feel refreshed during the day, or you know you are not sleeping well at night, tell your doctor. He or she may ask many questions about your life and personal habits. Your doctor also may want you to keep a sleep diary for 1 to 2 weeks. This is a record of your sleeping and waking patterns and habits.
trouble doing your work or other daily tasks
memory problems depression high blood pressure falling asleep while driving or at work less able to handle stress
If not treated, your sleep disorder could lead to a: heart attack stroke
car accident problem at home or work
Insomnia Insomnia is trouble falling or staying asleep—something we all have at some time. If it usually takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep or you are up in the middle of the night more than 30 minutes, you may have insomnia. It can also cause you to wake up too early in the morning.
Sleep apnea and snoring Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing for short periods (in severe cases, as many as 100 or more times per hour) during sleep. In between these periods you may also snore, snort, gasp or make choking sounds. This disturbs your sleep, but you may not be aware of it. It can be a very serious problem if not treated.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) RLS is a crawling, creeping or tingling feeling you get in your legs when you sit or lie still. This can keep you from getting a good night’s sleep because the feeling won’t go away until you move or rub your legs. © 2014 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc.
Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) PLMD (also known as PLM Syndrome) causes leg or arm jerks during sleep. It can happen every few seconds. Like sleep apnea, this disturbs your sleep, but you may not be aware of it.
Narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a disorder that causes you to have uncontrolled “attacks” of sleep at the wrong time. You can fall asleep on and off throughout the day.
If your doctor can’t tell what your problem is by your sleep diary, he or she may want you to have a sleep study. It does not hurt. You sleep in a room much like a hotel or hospital room. A sleep technician (a person trained in sleep problems) observes you through a video camera and records how you sleep. Sometimes the sleep study can be done in your home.
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B ( 1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good)
Finding out about sleep disorders
© 2014 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc.
Sleep study (polysomnogram)
Keep your diary for two weeks, then take it to your next doctor visit.
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medicines
Sleep diary
oral (dental) devices
* Don’t watch the clock to record times. Use your best guess.
air pressure devices (to help you breathe)
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counseling
ow do you sleep?
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relaxation techniques
produced by:
good sleep habits
* Time I Date Time I Medicine(s) went to bed fell asleep I took
The type of treatment you need depends on your type of problem. Some treatments are:
Number of * Time it Time I Total hours Quality of Comments times I took to go woke up of sleep sleep B (exercise, naps, what I ate/drank, anything woke up back to sleep else that might affect my sleep)
Treat yourself to sleep
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