Managing Insomnia: Strategies for Living with a Sleeping Disorder

You may experience different symptoms depending on your specific condition. You may have trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying awake, difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty concentrating, daytime sleepiness, fatigue and mood swings. Other signs include snoring, sleepwalking and gasping.

There are many kinds of sleep disorders, each with unique symptoms and causes. Here are some of most common sleep disorders.

Insomnia (or insomnia) is a sleeping disorder that results in difficulty falling asleep. It can be caused from stress, anxiety and depression as well as medications or underlying medical conditions.

Sleep Apnea: This is a sleep disorder that causes breathing disruptions during sleep. It can be caused by a physical obstruction to the airway. This causes disturbed breathing and lower oxygen levels.

RLS: Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), a sleep disorder, is when the legs feel numb. This makes it hard to fall asleep. It can also be caused by certain medications or underlying medical conditions like iron deficiency, kidney failure, and other disorders.

Narcolepsy: A sleep disorder called Narcolepsy, which is characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness as well as sudden and severe sleep attacks throughout the day. It is caused when the brain’s sleep-wake cycles are disrupted.

Parasomnias: A group of sleep disorders that causes abnormal sleep behaviors, such as parasomnias and night terrors, is called Parasomnia.

Treatments for Insomnia

There are many different treatments for sleep disorders depending on the individual condition and the underlying cause. Here are some common treatments:

Meds: There are many medications that can treat sleep disorders. These include antidepressants, sedatives, and medications specifically made for conditions such as sleep apnea. You should consult your healthcare provider in order to determine the correct medication dosage and side effects.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a type if therapy that aims to alter negative thought patterns and behavior that can lead to sleep problems. These techniques include learning relaxation techniques, creating a consistent sleep schedule, and identifying and managing stressful situations.

Neurofeedback Therapy monitors brain activity and gives feedback to help people regulate their brainwaves. This is particularly helpful in conditions such as insomnia, which can often be caused by irregular brain activity.

Continuous Positive Airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP is a treatment option to treat sleep apnea. The mask covers the nose or mouth and delivers continuous airflow to the airway, keeping it open and preventing breathing interruptions.

Research Findings

Multiple studies have evaluated the effectiveness and safety of neurofeedback therapy to treat sleep disorders. One study published by Sleep Medicine in 2019, found that neurofeedback therapy reduced symptoms of insomnia and maintained these results over a six month period.

Another 2017 study in the Journal of Sleep Research showed that neurofeedback therapy can be effective in reducing sleep apnea symptoms, improving sleep quality, and decreasing daytime sleepiness.

Bright light therapy (or bright light therapy): Bright light therapy is a treatment that involves exposure to bright lights in order to reset your body’s natural sleeping-wake cycle. It has been proven to be beneficial in the treatment of circadian rhythm disorders like delayed sleep phase disorder (DSP) and shift work disorder (SH).

Melatonin – Melatonin regulates the sleep-wake cycles. Supplemental melatonin has been shown to be effective for treating insomnia in patients with delayed sleep phase disorder (or jet lag).

Regular exercise is a great way to improve your sleep quality, and it can also reduce the severity or frequency of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Aerobic exercise, such brisk walking or biking, is particularly effective.

Hypnosis can be used to treat insomnia. It is especially effective when combined with cognitive-behavioral therapies. It’s a relaxing state that induces sleep and alters thought patterns.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture uses thin needles to insert into specific points of the body. It has been proven to be effective in treating insomnia.

Mindfulness meditation: Mindfulness meditation means paying attention to the moment, without judgement. It has been proven to improve sleep quality and reduce stress.

While these treatments are promising, it’s important to remember that they may not be suitable for all patients. You should consult your healthcare provider to find the best treatment plan.