Causes, Effects, and Treatments of Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders

Sleep Disorders

Sleep is a necessary process we must carry out to sustain life. People spend one-third of their life on sleeping. It is the physical and mental resting state in which a person becomes unaware of the environment. And there is no substitution for sleep. Sleep disorders involve problems with quality, timing, and amount of sleep which cause problems with functioning in our body during daytime. In order to understand how serious sleep disorders can be, one needs to know: the causes, the effects, and the treatments of sleep disorders.

Causes of Sleep Disorders

In this day, sleep has become inconvenience for some people. With all the work and play that they need to do during daytime, sleep is sometime ignored which can cause the sleep disorders. Sleep disorder can be divided into three broad areas including, lifestyle, mental health problems, and physical health problem.

Lifestyle: Shift work, Alcohol, and Caffeine

People’s lifestyle or the way they live affect their sleep health. Shift work is work that takes place on a schedule outside the traditional 9 am – 5 pm day. It can involve evening or night shifts, early morning shifts, and rotating shifts. This causes an extreme change in sleep habits. By nature, humans are active during day and restful at night. Shift work reverses this natural order and human bodies may not be able to change. According to the opponent-process model, sleep and wakefulness result from the interaction between two central nervous system (CNS) processes: a homeostatic sleep drive and circadian alerting system. Caffeine and alcohol are substances used that may cause lack of sleep. Caffeine in the coffee that people drink when day feel sleepy to make them stay awake. But consuming anything with caffeine in it should be avoided before going to bed because if it was taken in excessive amounts, it can cause an unkind cycle. When it is time to sleep it will prevent you from resting properly. Drinking too much alcohol can cause sleep disorders. Alcohol is highly effective at suppressing melatonin, a key facilitator of sleep and regular of sleep-wake cycle. Research indicates that a moderate dose of alcohol up to an hour before bedtime can reduce melatonin production by nearly 20 percent. Alcohol has a direct effect on circadian rhythms which regulate nearly all of the body’s process, from metabolism and immunity to energy, sleep, and sexual drive.

Mental Health Problem: Stress and Anxiety Disorders

Sleep disorders can cause mental health issues. Stress is one of the main cause to sleep disorders like insomnia. An unexpected event can lead to chronic insomnia. People with chronic insomnia have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. In humans, stress can cause the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to release hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones raise the heart rate to circulate blood to vital organs and muscles more efficiently, preparing the body to take immediate action if necessary. According to a National Sleep Foundation survey, 43 percent of people aged 13-64 have reported lying awake at night due to stress at least once in the past month. Many anxiety disorders are associated with difficulties sleeping. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is frequently associated with poor sleep. Panic attacks during sleep may suggest a panic disorder. Poor sleep resulting from nightmares may be associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Physical Health Problem: Breathing Problem and Heart Failure

Similar with caffeine, breathing problems like snoring may make it more difficult to fall asleep as can the use of steroids or other breathing medications that also have stimulating effect. Heart failure is a condition characterized by a gradual decline in the heart’s ability to pump or circulate blood adequately. Patients with heart failure may awaken during night feeling short of breath because extra body fluid accumulates around their lungs when they’re lying down.

Effects of Sleep Disorders

Not getting enough sleep can have a poisonous effect on your whole life. It does not matter if sleep is lost because of lifestyle, mental health problem, or physical health problem. Poor rest impairs our ability to think, to handle stress, to moderate emotions, to maintain proper health and, in some of the cases, may even cause death. If sleep disorders are not recognized or untreated, a person may has the foundation of physical, psychological, and social problems.

Physical: Immune System and Weight

The dangers of sleep disorders may affect a person’s physical well-being in several ways. Immune system and adequate rest are closely related. The bloods levels of specialized immune cells and important proteins called cytokines are altered when the body does not get enough rest. This creates a greater than normal chance of infections. One theory says that immune system evolved sleepiness inducing factors because inactivity and sleep provided an advantage. Those people who sleep well when face with an infection are better able to fight infection that people who sleep less. A person who is sleep deprived may catch the common cold more frequently than a well-rested person. Another effect of sleep loss is the risk of obesity. A new study presented at the annual meeting of American diabetes Society suggests that healthy young people who regularly got less than 6,5 hours of sleep a night had greater insulin resistance than people who got 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep. Insulin resistance is the condition that often leads to Type 2 diabetes. During sleep, your body releases specific hormones and chemicals that control appetite and manage weight gain. The researchers found that people who sleep 2-4 hours a night are 73% more likely to be obese than those who get 7-9 hours. Those who get 5 or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese. And those who get 10 or more hours are 11% less likely to be obese. If weight gain is not managed properly, it may also cause other health problems in the future.

Psychological: Emotion, Speech, and Memory

Without sufficient rest, our psychological state will begin to deteriorate. People become irritable and short tempered, both with themselves and others. It is possible to even lose control of emotions which can lead to violence. This can be detrimental to relationships with family, friends, and partners. Stress and anxiety levels both mount as result of sleepiness. This can eventually lead to full blown anxiety disorders and depression. Studies show that poor-quality sleep can damage or destroy brain cells. When not getting enough sleep, the part of the brain that controls language, memory, planning and sense of time is severely affected, practically shutting down. In fact, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%. The brain’s ability to problem solve becomes impaired when a person is sleep deprived. The normal decision making abilities are compromised and the brain falls into rigid thought patterns that make it hard for us to produce new problem solving ideas.

Social: Relationship and Community Activities

Sleep disorders may also intrude on the person’s social life. Shift workers face problems trying to maintain family relationships and social and community ties. The night shift workers need to sleep during the day, and they often miss out on family activities, entertainments, and other social interactions. Childcare, house work, shopping, and leaving a partner alone at night can lead to marital strain and family dysfunction. If family members do work this schedule, it is very important to plan special times to share with their friends and family.

Treatments of Sleep Disorders

When something goes wrong with your body or mind, you need to get to see the doctor. The simplest way to treat the sleep disorders is to get enough sleep and make a good sleep habits. But when these are not enough, other treatment options can be considered. The main treatments people often use are medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and exercise.

Medications

Some of the medications like Zolpiclem, Zaleplon, and Eszopiclone work as facilitate of GABA receptors in the body’s central nervous system to inhibit brain activity. Zolpiclrm comes in a variety of formulation that is useful in many type of insomnia. Zaleplon has a quick on set and shorter duration of action, which makes it useful in midnight awakening. Many psychiatric drugs are used to promote sleep in people with insomnia. One should be careful regarding the risk of becoming “over-seated” by using other when taking some of these medications.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most widely-used therapy for sleep disorders. It may be conducted individually, in a group with similar sleeping problems, or even online. Since the causes and symptoms of sleep disorders vary considerably, CBT should always be tailored to your specific problems. CBT address negative thoughts and behavior patterns that contribute to insomnia or other sleeping problems. As the name says, cognitive behavioral therapy involves two main components : Cognitive therapy and Behavioral therapy. Cognitive therapy teaches you to recognize and change negative beliefs and thoughts that contribute to the sleep problems. Behavioral therapy teaches you how to avoid behaviors that keep you awake at night and replace them with better sleep habits.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

One of treatment of choice for patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSA) is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) which deal with nasal interface, oronasal mask, or nasal pillows. Even though CPAP therapy is known for effectiveness and long-term adherence, but 10-20% of patients discontinue CPAP therapy after the first night of use due to discomfort from mask-related side effects like leaks, pain, pressure ulcers on the bridge of the nose, nasal congestion, and a dry mouth or nose. With purpose of reducing the occurrence if undesirable events, manufacturers have designed and marketed new masks, Automatic positive airway pressure (APAP). APAP use pressure-adjusting algorithms to detect respiratory events. Healthcare centers with a heavy demand for sleep tests and long waiting lists have suggested APAP as a nonconventional titration method. However, their use has spread because their internal memory can record working pressure variations derived from airway obstruction events throughout the night.

Exercise

After you have jet lag, staying up all night to study, or work in shifts, you may want to retrain your body’ sleep patterns. Yoga may can be your obtain for experiencing positive health benefits, both physically and mentally. It lowers your cortisol levels. Plus, yoga helps the brain and body to relax. It also engages your body and releases ‘feel good’ hormones. Of the handful of studies that have been performed, they suggest that exercise significantly improves the sleep of people with chronic insomnia. The only study that looked at the effects of a single exercise session found that about of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise like walking reduced the time it tool to fall asleep and increased the length of sleep of people with sleep disorders compared to a night in which they did not exercise. However, in the same study, vigorous aerobic exercise like running or lifting weights did not improve sleep. Similar results have been found for studies that examined the effects of long-term exercise on sleep in adults with sleep disorders. In the studies, after 4 to 24 weeks of exercise, adults with insomnia fell asleep more quickly, slept slightly longer, and had better sleep quality than before they began exercising.

Sleep disorders is the serious matter that can cause a chain of various, negative, effects. Sleep is an essential part of our lives. Without it, we would not be able to restore each day. Our physical, mental, and social interests rely on it. Even though scientists are still working to study more about sleep because it is not completely cover, we have proven that it is required for survival. It is a serious problem that should not be ignored. With awareness and knowledge of this condition, these problems can be treated by medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and exercise. This will result the healthier, more restful lives. So, next time when you choose to burn the midnight oil, you might want to think twice. Your mind will be missing out on more than just a dream.

Works cited

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