According to studies, nearly three quarters of people will experience sleeping problems at some point in their lives. For the majority of these people, the problem will only last for a night or two before they recuperate and move on with their lives. For a small percentage though sleeping problems are persistent, and at this point they are usually classified as sleeping disorders. Most people only consider onset insomnia (trouble falling asleep) when they think of sleeping problems, but there are more types of sleeping disorders than you are probably aware of. Some sleeping disorders are caused by physical problems, some are psychological and some are caused by both.
Sleep disturbance is usually physical, and the most frequently reported sleeping problems of this category fall under sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is an interruption in breathing during sleep. This is caused by tissue closing the wind pipe, though sometimes it is neurological. The sufferer awakes repeatedly during the night gasping for breath, which you can imagine is very unpleasant. The treatment for this sleeping disorder is to wear a "sleep mask" which keeps the wind pipe open with air pressure. Though uncomfortable at first, most people adjust to the sleep mask.
Another sleeping problem which is very common is restless leg syndrome or "the Jimmy legs". The condition is thought to be largely hereditary, and affects people both while they are sleeping and while they are awake. Simply put, it is a desire or need to keep their leg(s) in motion. It can result in insomnia, repeated waking during the night and is understandably upsetting to anyone sleeping next to them. The cause of restless leg syndrome is unknown in most cases, though people with an iron deficiency experience it at higher rates and as stated a family history is common to sufferers of this sleeping disorder. There are a few treatment options, like pharmaceutical drugs, certain exercises, changes in lifestyle and correcting an iron or vitamin B12 deficiency.
REM sleep behavior disorder usually manifests itself as sleep walking. It is a sleeping disorder where the person physically acts out their dreams. It is far more common in children and they usually out grow this sleeping problem, but sometimes it persists into adulthood and some people only develop the sleeping disorder as adults. This can go far beyond sleep walking, a person can appear to be wide awake and engage in such activities as getting dressed, cooking, showering and even driving. Despite the common misconception that a sleep walker should never be awakened, there is no evidence to suggest that this would be harmful in any way. IT is much more dangerous to allow them to continue walking around and performing tasks while asleep because of the potential of them hurting themselves or others. There are a few different treatments for sleepwalking; the correct one depends on the cause of the sleeping disorder. If it is a persistent problem speak with your doctor about your treatment options.
By far the most common sleeping problem is onset insomnia, as I mentioned above. The problem most often lasts for only one or two nights, but some people experience it for much longer and others will experience onset insomnia not continuously, but on a regular basis. The number one cause of onset insomnia is stress and anxiety; sometimes stressful thoughts keep one awake and sometimes it is more of a tight and anxious feeling. Sleeping problems of this type have a wide variety of treatments. Though many people use pharmaceutical drugs to deal with onset insomnia more natural approaches are often quite effective. Relaxation techniques, exercise, changes in diet, cognitive therapy and herbal supplements have all been shown to have a substantial impact on insomnia. While prescription sleeping pills are effective in the short term treatment of insomnia, they can exacerbate the problem in the long term as well as have many other negative effects. Again, speak to your doctor for treatment information on these types of sleeping disorders and sleeping problems.