Problems Sleeping? 4 Sleep Disorders Solved How to Treat Insomnia and More

Do you toss and turn at night or wake up feeling exhausted? You could have a sleep disorder that's keeping you from getting the zzz's you need. Find out what causes these 4 common sleep woes and how to banish them for good... Sleep: New moms dream about it. Night-shift workers rarely get enough. But they’re not the only ones not getting adequate pillow time. Most women don't either. Adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Yet most women age 30-60 years old are getting less – six hours and 41 minutes to be exact. Unfortunately, it’s not just the resulting dark circles women have to worry about. Lack of sleep can trigger a host of problems, including: Daytime sleepiness Problems concentrating Poor performance on the job or at school Irritability Increased likelihood of illness Weight gain “The more common the sleep loss, the worse the problems get,” says Douglas Kirsch, M.D., a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Experts agree that most people who boast about getting by on five or six hours of sleep are kidding themselves. “They don’t realize how much better they would be with seven to eight hours,” says David Schulman, M.D., director of the Emory Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Atlanta. Here are 4 types of sleep disorders that get in the way of slumber and what to do about them: 1. Insomnia What it is: Do you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep? It could be insomnia. Most people have the occasional sleepless night, usually during stressful times. However, about 10% of American adults report chronic insomnia. Women are more likely than men to report ongoing problems, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. One reason is hormones: Pregnancy and menopause can trigger insomnia, probably due to shifts in estrogen levels. In fact, a 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll found that 30% of pregnant women and 42% of post-partum women say they rarely or never get a good night’s sleep, compared to 15% of all women. Causes of insomnia: A few sleepless nights, particularly during a period of stress or major life change, is no cause for alarm. Such “reactive insomnia” often goes away on its own, says Schulman of the Emory Sleep Disorders Laboratory. But if those sleepless nights pile up, it can set the stage for chronic insomnia. Going to bed becomes an exercise in anxiety because “you can’t get sleep off your mind, so you can’t sleep,” Schulman says. Simply put, you psych yourself out. Women are more likely than men to see their lack of sleep as a sign of an impending health disaster, says Gregg D. Jacobs, M.D., an insomnia specialist at the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Massachusetts and author of Say Goodnight to Insomnia (Holt). This only serves to reinforce patterns of sleeplessness, he says. Depression and anxiety can also be underlying causes of insomnia. That’s why you should discuss long-term insomnia with a health care professional. How to treat insomnia: If you have trouble sleeping, your instinct might be to reach for a sleeping aid. That may be OK for a few nights, but experts caution against using sleeping pills for more than a month. Sleep medications have side effects, including drowsiness and memory loss, and they can become psychologically, if not physically, addicting, Jacobs says. (If you’re pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking any sort of sleeping aid.) The best way to overcome insomnia is to take inventory of your bedtime routines and sleeping habits. Most of the time, small changes can make a difference. Start by cutting back on caffeine. Make your room dark and cool. And try to adhere to a consistent sleep schedule by waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends. 2. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) What it is: It's a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when resting or sleeping. Some people describe it as an “odd” feeling in their legs or an inability to sit still. Others describe a sensation of burning, creeping, tugging or even insects crawling inside the legs. Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from RLS than men, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Causes of RLS: Its cause is unclear, but it seems to be related to iron and/or dopamine deficiencies in the body, says Schulman of Emory’s sleep lab. Women may be particularly affected because menstruation tends to deplete iron. How to treat RLS: Treatment depends on the severity of symptoms. For less serious cases, a doctor may recommend hot or cold showers, using heating pads, exercising or massage therapy – all relax the muscles. Severe cases may warrant anti-seizure medications and drugs that mimic dopamine, says Brigham’s Kirsch. Another effective option is iron supplements. Several medications can aggravate RLS symptoms, including antidepressants, tranquilizers and non-prescription allergy and cold medications with antihistamines. For more information, visit Lifescript's Restless Legs Syndrome Health Center. 3. Obstructive sleep apnea What it is: It's a breathing disorder that causes loud snoring and pauses in breathing that last about 10-30 seconds, sometimes longer. It occurs when certain airway muscles relax during sleep, causing soft tissue in the back of the throat to collapse and block the upper airway. Apnea results in fragmented or poor quality sleep. Beyond problems sleeping, it’s also associated with high blood pressure, heart problems, memory problems and headaches. It may lead to poor job performance and even motor vehicle crashes among sleep-deprived drivers. In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board has urged commercial truck and bus drivers and merchant ship pilots to be screened for the condition. What causes sleep apnea: It can be weight-related. As weight accumulates, fatty tissue can further block the air passage, making sleep apnea worse. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, about 9% of women and 24% of men have obstructive sleep apnea. Not all, however, report daytime sleepiness as a result. As women age and go through menopause, they tend to report more sleep apnea. Weight gain and hormone changes may be the cause of this sleep disorder. How to treat sleep apnea: Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, and changing sleeping position, may help. (Apnea tends to be worse when sleeping on the back.) More severe cases may be treated with a Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP) mask that gently blows air into the throat during sleep. The masks are considered quite effective, but wearing it can take some getting used to. Another option: surgery to widen the breathing passages. This involves removing, shrinking or stiffening excess tissue in the throat. 4. Narcolepsy What it is: In TV shows and movies, narcoleptics fall asleep in mid-sentence and wake up as if nothing happened. In reality, a person suffering from narcolepsy has intense daytime sleepiness and dozes off gradually, Schulman says, sometimes in inappropriate situations. “People with narcolepsy are very sleepy but it’s not as if they're walking and suddenly drop over asleep,” he says. Narcoleptics may also have to deal with the double-whammy of insomnia too. Not only do they fall asleep during the day, but they can have periods of intense wakefulness during the night. About one in every 2,000 people suffers from narcolepsy. It's associated with a condition called cataplexy and its sufferers sometimes experience episodes of partial or total muscle loss, often triggered by emotions such as anger or laughter. It may be frightening to see someone go completely slack for 30-60 seconds, but cataplexy isn't life-threatening, Schulman says. “People are awake during cataplexy attacks, but they just can’t move.” Narcolepsy seems to affect men just slightly more than women, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. It generally starts in the teens but may not be diagnosed until a person is 20-30 years old. Often, it’s never diagnosed. “People just get used to being tired,” Schulman says. What causes narcolepsy: Research has found differences between normal sleepers and narcoleptics during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep. Narcoleptics go into REM sleep much more quickly than normal sleepers. The brain chemical hypocretin may be to blame. Hypocretin helps regulate wakefulness and keeps REM sleep stable. Narcoleptics have lower levels of this chemical, but researchers don’t know why. There could be a genetic link: Up to 10% of people with narcolepsy report having a family member with the same symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health. How to treat narcolepsy: There’s no cure, so daytime sleepiness and drowsiness is treated symptomatically. Short naps can be particularly effective. In extreme cases, medications – often stimulants – can be prescribed. Good Sleep Habits If you suspect you have any of these conditions, talk to your doctor. You may be referred to a local sleep clinic. In the meantime, take these steps to improve your sleep schedule: No TV, laptops or snacks in bed. Limit the use of your bed to sleep and sex. If you get in the habit of watching TV, eating or other activities in the bedroom, your mind won’t associate it with snoozing. Relocate after 30 minutes of tossing and turning. Get out of bed, read a book or do some other activity. “It’s like taking a break from a math problem,” Schulman says. “It takes pressure off trying to get to sleep.” Avoid caffeine after noon. Those java jolts you drink throughout the day kick in all night long. Watch out for the caffeine in chocolate, energy drinks, some teas and cola beverages. Exercise at the right time. Working out will generally help with insomnia but not if you do it too close to bedtime. The “fight or flight” hormones that build up in the body during intense activity can keep you awake at night. Pass the cheese, please. To help you drift off, eat a small piece of hard cheese before bed. Cheese naturally has the amino acid tyramine which seems to induce relaxation – similar to the way tryptophan in turkey seems to make people sleepy, Schulman says. But don’t eat too much: Going to sleep on a full stomach may not produce restful sleep because it causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Keep your bedroom dark and cool. People sleep better in cooler temperatures, Schulman says. The National Sleep Foundation recommends temperatures between 54-75 degrees. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed and to get up at the same time every day. Going to bed earlier than usual may only prolong sleeplessness and getting up late on weekends produces the equivalent of jet lag, Jacobs says. Let the sunshine in. Being in the sunlight at some point during the day enhances your body’s natural tendency to sleep when it’s dark. Problems Sleeping? Getting a good night's sleep affects every aspect of your day, including your mood and your ability to be productive. Find out if you're smart about sleep.