Most of us at some point in lifeexperienced some or other problems with sleep. But if such problems become almost ordinary phenomena and begin to interfere with your daily life, then you can safely say that you are suffering from a sleep disorder. Sleep disturbance entails more than just drowsiness. Poor quality of sleep can have a negative impact on your energy, mental balance and overall health. If you are having trouble sleeping, then this article will be useful to you, in which we will tell you what are the most common sleep disorders, what you can do to help yourself, and when to call a doctor.

The Importance of a Healthy Sleep

Sleep can serve as a barometer of general conditionhealth. In many cases, people who are in good health tend to sleep well, while repetitive sleep problems may indicate some medical or psychological health problems, ranging from minor to severe ones. A good dream, as we have said, is very important for your physical health and emotional well-being. Even a minimal loss of sleep can affect your mood, performance, and stress resistance. Ignoring the problem of bad sleep can lead to serious deterioration in health, impaired productivity, stress and even accidents. If you want to stay healthy and use all your potential, you must clearly realize that a good sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. It is not normal to feel sleepy during the day, to face problems with falling asleep in the evening, to sleep badly at night, and to wake up completely broken in the morning. But even if you have trouble sleeping for so long that you are almost used to them, you can still learn to sleep better. It is worth starting to monitor the symptoms of sleep disturbances, and also whether they are related to the fact that you may admit a sleep disturbance. At this stage it will be very useful to use our tips. If your attempts to help yourself do not succeed, you can ask for help from specialists. Together, you will be able to identify the root causes of your problems and find ways to improve not only the dream, but also the quality of your life.

Signs and symptoms of sleep disorders

Random sleeping problems can experienceeach. How do you know if sleep disorders in your case are simply a reaction of the body to external stimuli, or are they signs of more serious disorders or symptoms of the underlying disease? Begin by carefully studying your symptoms, paying special attention to the clear signs of severe daytime sleepiness. If at least one of the following symptoms you experience on a regular basis, it is likely that it is a sleep disorder. So, you:

• Is there a feeling of drowsiness or irritability during the day?
• it's hard not to fall asleep if you sit still, watch TV or read?
• is it difficult to drive a car because you are literally falling asleep or feeling too tired?
• it is difficult to concentrate attention?
• Do you often hear from others that you look too tired?
• it seems that recently you have clearly slowed down the reaction?
• it became difficult to manage your emotions?
• Do you have to drink caffeinated drinks to force yourself to work on?

If you answered "yes" to at least one question, then most likely you have serious sleep disorders.

Insomnia: the most common type of sleep disorder

Insomnia, or the inability to get somethingThe amount of sleep that you need to wake up rested and fresh is the most common complaint. Insomnia is often a symptom of other problems, such as stress, anxiety, depression or some kind of disease. It can also be caused by the peculiarities of your lifestyle, including lack of physical activity, changing time zones, taking medications and even too much coffee that you drink. Common signs of insomnia include:

• Difficulty with falling asleep in the evening or not being able to fall asleep by waking up at night;
• Frequent awakening during the night, intermittent sleep;
• To make yourself fall asleep, you must take some measures (drink a sleeping pill, turn off the light, create an ideal silence and the like);
• Drowsiness and low working capacity during the day.

Whatever the reasons for your insomnia,which you want to cope, first of all learn to relax. Coupled with the struggle with bad habits, this will help you sleep better and, as a result, feel much better. The good news for you is that in most cases you can get rid of insomnia by changing the way you live, and not relying solely on taking sleeping pills.

Other types of sleep disorders

In addition to insomnia, there are other types ofsleep disorders. This is an apnea, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy. What are these problems? Apnea This is one of the most common disorders. It is characterized by a temporary stop of breathing, due to the fact that the upper respiratory tract overlap. Such pauses in the breath interrupt sleep, which leads to frequent awakening. Although most people who suffer from apnea do not remember these awakenings, they feel their effects throughout the day: they are exhausted, irritable, often suffer from depression, and their productivity is significantly reduced. What are the signs of apnea?

• Chronic loud snoring.
• Frequent pauses in breathing during sleep.
• Feeling of suffocation during sleep.
• Brokenness after awakening and drowsiness during the day, no matter how much time you spent in bed.
• At night, sleep is interrupted, and awakening occurs with a feeling of shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, nasal congestion or dryness in the throat.

Apnea - serious and potentially dangerous fora sleep disturbance. If you suspect that you or a person close to you are prone to apnea, then, without delay, consult a doctor. This disorder is successfully treated, and the doctor will tell you the methods of treatment. You can help yourself if you sleep on your side, change your pillow to a higher one, and also try to lose weight. Restless legs syndrome Such sleep disorders are characterized by the fact that you feel an almost irresistible desire to move your legs (less often - with your hands). Sleep does not come from the fact that you can not find a place for your feet. No matter how you put them, you are still uncomfortable; often this condition is accompanied by tingling, pain in the muscles, a feeling of unbearable heaviness in the limbs. Common symptoms of severe leg syndrome include:

• Unpleasant sensations are somewhere deep in the muscles, accompanied by a strong desire to move their legs.
• These feelings temporarily fade away when you move, rub or massage your legs.
• The sleep that has finally come is accompanied or may be interrupted by repeated seizures or twitching of the legs.

Narcolepsy This is a sleep disorder thatcharacterized by excessive, uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. Such sleep disorders are caused by brain dysfunction, when the mechanism controlling the sleep and wakefulness of our body is disturbed. People who suffer from this disease can experience "attacks" of sleep right in the middle of the conversation, during work or even behind the wheel. Here are some common signs of narcolepsy:

• A sudden strong sense of weakness or loss of control over the muscles, especially during strong emotions.
• The feeling of paralysis, the inability to move for a while after awakening.
• Fast, uncontrollable falling asleep during the day. After a short sleep, a feeling of cheerfulness appears.
• Bright hallucinations in the state transition from sleep to wakefulness and vice versa (in those moments when a person realizes that he still (or already) does not sleep).

How can you help yourself overcome sleep disorders?

Although some disorders may requiremedical care, in most cases you can quite help yourself. The first step to overcome the problem with sleep will be the identification and careful monitoring of sleep disturbance symptoms. The second important step is changing daily habits and improving sleep hygiene. Regardless of what exactly your sleep problem is, the rituals of going to sleep and the cultivation of good habits in your body necessarily lead to a permanent improvement in the quality of sleep. You can cope with many symptoms by simply changing the way you live. For example, you can find out: it's worth it to do sports and start to manage your emotions more effectively, as your sleep will become much stronger and refreshing. Here are some tips for improving sleep:

• Observe the sleep and wakefulness. Lie down and get up at the same time every day, including the weekend.
• Allocate enough time for sleep. Most people need to sleep 7-8 hours to feel able to work.
• Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet and cool.
• Turn off the TV, computer, mobile phoneat least one hour before going to bed. The type of light that monitors and screens of these instruments emit can stimulate your brain, suppressing the production of melatonin and interfering with the internal hours of your body.

Recipes for a healthy sleep

• Pillow with herbs: she served a good service even in the days of our grandmothers, and today she is able to help. She is put under the usual pillow or on the chest; under the influence of the heat of the bed and the body, volatile substances are released that you inhale and calmly fall asleep. Sew for this linen square bag (with a side about 15 cm) with a zipper and loosely beat it with one of the following mixtures of dried herbs (the action is preserved for 4 weeks):

One part of the leaves of lemon balm (lemon mint), the root of valerian and St. John's wort, and two parts of lavender flowers.

Equal parts of the root of valerian, hops and St. John's wort.

Equal parts of flowers of lavender and hop cones.

• Sleepy Elixir: 10 grams of lavender flowers, hop cones, Valerian root, Melissa leaves and St. John's wort, mash in a mortar, pour one liter of red wine. Leave to stand for 10 days, stirring daily. After 5 days, add two pieces of cinnamon and 5 mashed pieces of cloves. Strain and pour into the bottle. Drink a small glass (40 ml) for 30 minutes before going to bed.

Can sleeping pills help you avoid sleeping problems?

When taken for a short period of time andsleeping pills can only give a positive effect on the purpose and under the supervision of a doctor. Nevertheless, this can only be a temporary solution; to cure insomnia with sleeping pills is impossible. In the long term, medications can make insomnia only more severe. It is permissible to use sleeping pills (moderately and briefly!) In situations such as, for example, traveling with changing time zones. If there is a need for the use of such drugs for a long time, it is better to use them "as needed" rather than on a daily basis to avoid dependence on the drug. Instructions for the safe use of sleeping pills In order for the consequences of taking a hypnotic drug to be as unpleasant as possible, follow the following rules:

• Take sleeping pills only when you have enough time for proper sleep - at least 7-8 hours. Otherwise, you will experience excessive drowsiness the whole next day.
• Carefully read the insert that is locatedpackaged. Pay special attention to possible side effects, the recommended dosage and a list of products and other medications that can not be combined with this drug.
• Never mix alcohol and sleeping pills! Alcohol breaks sleep, and the interaction of alcohol with sleeping pills can be life threatening.
• Never drive after taking a sleeping pill, especially if you drank it for the first time. You do not know how and when your body will react to this drug.

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