4 medical reasons which may be causing your poor sleep

4 Medical Reasons That Might Be Causing Your Poor Sleep

When better sleeping habits aren’t enough to overcome your sleep struggles, there might be other factors at play. Here are a few medical reasons to consider.

Local research indicates that you’re not alone if you’re struggling with sleep. A 2016 survey found that a little more than a third of New Zealanders reported not getting enough sleep or that the quality of their sleep was compromised.

If you have adopted better sleeping habits and are still suffering from chronic sleepiness, you may need to see your doctor. Here are some of the medical reasons for poor sleep that your doctor will be looking for:

1. Insomnia

If you regularly have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early, you might be suffering from insomnia. Possible treatments include behavioral therapy, strict sleep hygiene, and medication.

2. Sleep Apnea

If you suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, the cause may be sleep apnea. A person typically doesn’t know they have sleep apnea and is usually alerted to the problem by their partner, who must cope with the loud snoring, snorts, and gasps often associated with the disorder. A person with sleep apnea experiences pauses in breathing while sleeping.

These pauses can last from seconds to minutes and occur dozens of times in an hour. Breathing restarts with a gasp, a choking sound, or a snort. When this occurs, a person may not wake up, but they move from deep sleep to light sleep and wake up feeling tired and fatigued. Sleep apnea is unpleasant for your partner and risky to your health. If you think you have it, see your doctor.

3. Restless Legs Syndrome

An estimated eight percent of the population has restless legs syndrome (RLS), a neurological condition. There are four basic symptoms that occur with RLS:

• A strong urge to move your legs, sometimes accompanied by a burning sensation.
• Your symptoms are worse when your body is at rest.
• Symptoms improve when you move.
• Symptoms are worse at night.

4. Menopause

Hot flashes aren’t limited to the daytime. At night, they can disrupt sleep and leave a menopausal woman soaked in sweat, causing discomfort or waking her up enough to prompt her to change clothes and then try to get back to sleep. Hormone treatments and antidepressants may help, but some women decide to just tough it out and hope it doesn’t last too long.

For more information on sleep disorders, you can visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.