Sleep disorders can be hard to spot if you aren’t constantly on the lookout for signs. Afterall, everyone has a bad night occasionally and we often brush them off as a normal, albeit inconvenient, part of life.
Sleep disorders are more common than you might think, and they can lead to much more serious medical concerns down the road such as high blood pressure, excessive weight gain, diabetes, and heart problems. Diagnosis and treatment from a qualified sleep medicine specialist can change your life if you are suffering from a disruptive sleep disorder.
Regardless of how subtle the signs are, If you are willing to watch for a few symptoms, you could catch a sleep disorder before it has done too much damage to your overall health. These are our top 7 signs that it is time for you to see a sleep medicine specialist.
1. You Wake Up Tired After A Full Night’s Rest
Doctors recommend at least 8 hours of sleep every night. If you are getting at least this many hours of sleep each night and still waking up tired, there is probably an issue with the quality of your sleep.
A normal sleep cycle includes about 90 minutes of deep sleep each night. If you are having trouble reaching a deep sleep state it could cause you to still feel tired even after receiving enough hours of sleep. Not reaching a deep sleep cycle could be accredited to a few different disruptive sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and even sleep hyperventilation.
There are many external factors that may contribute to poor sleep quality such as stress, poor eating habits, depression, and anxiety. If the problem persists past a few rough nights, it is important that you make an appointment to see a sleep medicine specialist as this could be a sign of any number of serious sleep disorders.
2. It Takes You Longer Than 30 Minutes To Fall Asleep
The average adult takes between five and twenty minutes to fall asleep. If you find yourself regularly needing more than half an hour to fall asleep, this could be a sign that you have a sleep disorder.
Sure, there are bound to be nights when you can’t stop thinking about your big meeting tomorrow morning or that paper you have been putting off, but these nights should be the exception to the rule. If the issue does happen to be external forces, it is a good practice to eliminate as many distractions around bedtime as possible. If you usually go to sleep with the tv on or scrolling on your phone, make an effort to spend that time in silence instead.
Too often we ignore the more subtle signs that there is a problem, attributing them to the many stressors in our day-to-day lives instead of recognizing them for the red flags they are. So if you lay awake in bed for over thirty minutes, it might be time to make an appointment with a sleep specialist.
3. You Find Yourself Waking Often Throughout The Night
A healthy night’s sleep does involve any periods of consciousness during your resting hours. Barring outside stimuli, such as babies crying or dogs barking, there should be no reason for a person to wake during the night. So, if this is an experience you have often, it could be a sign that there is a bigger issue afoot.
Disruptive sleep behaviors, including nightmares, sleep walking, and irregular breathing, can easily result in poor quality of sleep. One of the most important things we can do to keep up our strength for the coming day is to ensure that we are receiving 8 hours of high quality sleep.
If frequently waking in the night is negatively impacting that sleep quality, it’s time to call a sleep medicine specialist.
4. You Often Find Yourself Drowsy During The Day
While the occasional nap to recuperate energy expended in special circumstances is healthy and normal, the feeling of needing a nap during the day is typically not a great sign.
Our bodies are meant to function steadily throughout the day with one long rest period that we typically take at night. No matter what your lifestyle or routine is, being consistently sleepy outside of those designated rest hours may be a warning sign that you have a sleep disorder.
Certain conditions, such as narcolepsy, can involve sudden “sleep attacks” in which a person may be unable to resist the urge to go to sleep. Other conditions that may be negatively impacting your sleep quality or disrupting your normal sleep patterns can also cause chronic fatigue. If this is a problem you regularly face, call a sleep specialist sooner rather than later to avoid putting yourself or your loved ones at risk.
5. You Feel Tingling In Your Limbs At Night
If you have ever been laying in bed, trying to get to sleep, and you have felt a tingling or itchy feeling in your leg that could only be soothed by movement, you might have restless leg syndrome (RLS). This is a condition that involves an uncomfortable feeling in a patient’s legs causing an uncontrollable urge to move their leg. This condition is considered a sleep disorder because it happens most often when a body is fully at rest, so during the sleep hours.
Because this is such a commonly known condition, many people assume that they would be able to immediately recognize it in themselves. Unfortunately, each patient experiences the sensation in a different way and many people have a hard time accurately describing it. Because of this, it can be difficult to diagnose cases early on and help people learn how to live with RLS.
If you or a person you know shows signs of RLS, do not hesitate to schedule your appointment with a sleep specialist today!
6. You Are Experiencing Unexplained Weight Gain
One of the most common side effects of all sleep disorders is unexplained weight gain. Inconsistent sleep patterns and poor sleep quality can lead to hormone imbalances that can negatively impact things like metabolism, thyroid, and insulin regulation.
Sudden weight gain is not an issue to take lightly. Even excluding any sleep-related side effects, a sudden change in weight can have many lasting effects on a patient’s overall health. Weight naturally fluctuates up to five pounds, but weight gain that holds steady could be cause for concern.
There are obviously many factors that may play a part in weight gain, such as a change of diet, change of activity levels, stress, mental illness, and other medical conditions that have nothing to do with sleep. Still, if you can eliminate several or all other factors, you might want to consider seeing a sleep specialist.
7. You Consistently Snore Or Gasp Loudly Throughout The Night
Snoring is one of the most common disruptive sleep behaviors, so many people never give it a second thought. Unfortunately, snoring almost always suggests an underlying problem. If your snoring is so severe that it keeps you or your partner awake at night, you might have a sleep disorder.
Snoring is typically caused by restricted airways, which could be caused by a number of conditions. Obesity is a common cause for snoring because excess fat tissues often obstruct airways when lying down. While losing weight is the best plan to combat this issue, it does not offer immediate relief. In the meantime, patients often find that sleeping with their torso elevated or even in a sitting position helps them sleep more soundly.
Loud snoring or gasping could also be a sign of another condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This condition causes patients to stop breathing for seconds at a time, then draw in large gasps of air. OSA is more common than it seems, because it can be difficult for a person to see the signs themselves, as they usually sleep through these episodes.
Still, if your partner is complaining about very loud snoring or gasping throughout the night, consider making an appointment with a sleep specialist as soon as possible.
Diagnosis and Treatment from a Sleep Specialist
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, seeking medical attention is of the utmost importance. Located in Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina, Dr. Jeanine Gingras and her team at Gingras Sleep Medicine are passionate about helping patients just like you get restful, restorative sleep, and enjoy their days more fully!
To schedule your appointment, visit www.gingrassleepmedicine.com or call our office at (704) 944-0562. We look forward to helping you get a better night’s sleep.