Sleep Disorders: The Symptoms And Effects Of Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are conditions that effect the ability to sleep well on a regular basis. They can be caused by health problems or by too much stress. More than 75% of Americans are effected by sleep disorders between the ages of 20 to 59. Depending on the type of sleep disorder people may have a hard time falling asleep or may feel extremely tired throughout the day. In some cases, sleep disorders can be a sign of another medical or mental health condition, but can go away if treated. If sleep disorders are untreated they can have a heavy toll on the human body. Narcolepsy and Sleep Apnea I found very interesting to learn about. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorders that I actually never realized it was one. 1 in 3000 people will be effected

There is quite of few people I know now that it effects. Sleep Apnea is a very serious sleep disorder that effects 1 in 20 people. It can affect anyone from children to adults. It occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted while sleeping. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing 100’s of times while sleeping. This causes the brain and the body not get enough oxygen. There are two types of sleep apnea, obstructed sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructed sleep apnea is the most common of the two, where there is a blockage in the airway. Central sleep apnea is not caused by a blocked airway, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breath due to the instability in the respiratory control center. Who is at risk? Males that are 40 and over weight, that have a large neck, tonsils, tongue and a small jawbone and have a family history of sleep apnea are affected. If sleep apnea is left untreated can cause major health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart problems, depression and headaches. If sleep apnea is mild, it can be treated with weight loss and change of sleep positions. The CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure is a treatment in which a mask is worn over the nose or mouth while you sleep. It has a mask that is hooked up to a machine that sends a continuous flow of air to the nose. It is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. Dental devices can be made and surgical procedures can be done depending on the case. I have seen how sleep apnea effects my father-in-law and the struggles he has had with it. I have seen his condition improve with weight loss, but it got worse after gaining all his weight back. It is something that I would never want to deal