With each passing year there is new research showing the sleep disorders are more prevalent and harmful than previously thought. However, we as individuals often overlook the signs and symptoms of an underlying condition that is both serious and treatable. Being aware of the common sleep conditions can help you know when to seek out medical advice and treatment to improve your sleep health.
Sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea experience a partial or complete interruption of breathing during sleep. This is caused by repeated collapse of the upper airway while sleeping. People with this condition are often tired during the day. They may also snore, wake up gasping or choking, or awake with a headache. 17% of the general population is thought to have OSA, but the prevalence is higher in men, in older people, and in those who are overweight or obese. A combination of these factors could see your chance of developing OSA reach as high as 49%.
Those with untreated OSA risk developing cardiovascular disease like heart attack, metabolic disease like diabetes, stroke, and depression. There are also the complications of being overly tired, such as decreased ability to learn and concentrate, poor performance at work, and increased chance of a motor vehicle accident.
OSA is typically diagnosed with a sleep study, which you can do at home or in a sleep lab. The best first step is to speak to your GP who can help organize the sleep study or send you to a specialist sleep physician.
If your study shows that you do have OSA, there are a number of treatment options. More mild forms of the condition can be managed by lifestyle modifications like weight loss and smoking cessation, or by a dental device called a Mandibular Advancement Splint, which pushes the jaw forward to help open the airway at night. The most effective treatment is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP machine. This works by gently blowing pressurized air into your upper airway to prevent collapse. To learn more about CPAP, click here.
Like obstructive sleep apnea, CSA causes a disruption of breathing during sleep. However, in this condition the route cause is the interruption of the brain signals that control the muscles of breathing. In additional to the fatigue that can accompany any form of sleep apnea, CSA sufferers can also wake up feeling breathless, feel short of breath while lying down (orthopnea), or have chest pain. Other medical conditions like heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia and stroke can all contribute to the development of CSA. Central sleep apnea can then cause further cardiovascular problems.
Central sleep apnea can be diagnosed with an in lab sleep study. Specialist physician involvement is important, and CSA patients should see both a cardiologist and a sleep physician to make sure their heart and sleep problems are well managed. Treatment often involves the use of a positive pressure machine like CPAP, a ventilator like bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP), or a more complex device like Adaptive Seroventilation (ASV).
Narcolepsy is a condition characterized by the uncontrollable urge to sleep during the day. While the exact cause is unknown, it is thought that the underproduction of certain brain chemicals (like hypocretin) are responsible for the disorder. Apart from attacks of sleepiness, sufferers can also experience a loss of voluntary muscle tone (cataplexy) and hallucinations that would only occur in health people as they were transitioning from wakefulness to sleep (hypnagogic hallucinations).
You are at higher risk of developing narcolepsy if you have a family history of the condition of if you have had brain injuries in the past. The chances of developing the disorder also increase with age. Sufferers often deal with personal and professional issues, including poor work performance, relationship problems, or stigma due to poor understanding of the disease. You are also at higher risk of injury when you have an episode.
Narcolepsy is diagnosed by a special type of sleep study called a Multiple Sleep Latency Test, or MSLT. This is carried out during the day and looks at how quickly you fall asleep. All patients with narcolepsy should be managed by a specialist sleep physician.
People with restless leg syndrome feel a discomfort in their lower limbs that is only relieved by moving their legs. They will move their legs around more during the transition from wakefulness to sleep and throughout the night. This causes a disruption of sleep, which leads to excessive daytime fatigue.
You are more likely to develop restless leg syndrome if you have a family history of the condition, or if you have another medical problem that effects the nervous system (e.g. peripheral neuropathy that can accompany diabetes).
You will most likely receive your diagnoses based on your description of your symptoms and a physical examination, although you may be asked to do an in-lab sleep study.
There are some medications that can be used to alleviate the symptoms. This condition is best managed by a specialist sleep physician.
This International Nurses Day, we celebrate the extraordinary dedication of Australia’s nurses. Their commitment is unwavering, but the demands of shift work can come at a personal cost: poor sleep health.
In today’s fast-paced world, sleep is often sacrificed in the name of productivity. Yet the irony is that poor sleep directly undermines our ability to think clearly, stay focused, and perform well at work. In Australia, around 40% of people experience inadequate sleep, and two-thirds of adults report at least one sleep-related issue. It’s no surprise then that fatigue and lack of concentration have become everyday struggles in many workplaces.
It’s late, the lights are off, and your phone is glowing in the dark. You tell yourself you’ll just check one more post, but minutes slip into hours. While it feels harmless in the moment, science is clear: using digital devices before bed can disrupt both sleep and mental health, and the reasons lie in how our brains and bodies respond to technology.
We’ve all had those days where a poor night’s sleep leaves us on edge. Suddenly, the traffic feels unbearable, a passing comment stings more than it should, and even small annoyances seem overwhelming. This isn’t just in your head—science shows that sleep deprivation can heighten our emotional reactivity and make it harder to keep our feelings in check.
Jet lag isn’t just fatigue after a long flight; it’s a disruption that affects your entire system. When you travel quickly across time zones, your internal body clock (the circadian rhythm) falls out of sync with your new destination. This can lead to fatigue, sleep problems, digestive issues, irritability, impaired judgment and poor concentration.
Staying in a hotel can be a mix of restful luxury or restless tossing and turning. Whether you’re away on business, enjoying a romantic weekend, or juggling kids on a family trip, one of the most important things you’ll do at your hotel is sleep. Yet, between noisy corridors, unfamiliar beds, and the simple fact of being somewhere new, quality rest doesn’t always come easy. The good news? With a few clever hacks, you can turn almost any hotel room into a sleep-friendly sanctuary.
Snoring might seem like just a noisy bedtime nuisance, but for many couples, it’s more than that. When the snoring is loud, frequent, and linked to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it can put a real strain on relationships, intimacy, and emotional wellbeing. Learning how to treat sleep apnea can help in restoring energy, patience, and intimacy for both you and your partner.
There’s something magical about a road trip—the open road, good music, and the promise of adventure ahead. But while the journey can be exciting, staying safe behind the wheel means more than just buckling your seatbelt. Fatigue and sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), can dramatically increase your risk of an accident.
When most of us think about snoring, we picture a harmless (if annoying) sound that keeps partners awake at night. But snoring can sometimes be much more than just a nuisance—it can be a red flag for your heart health. This World Heart Day, it’s the perfect time to shine a spotlight on why that nightly noise could be signalling something serious.
