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.
If you’ve been waking up tired, snoring loudly, or feeling foggy during the day, you might be wondering if a sleep study could help get to the bottom of it. The good news? You don’t necessarily need to spend a night in a sleep lab hooked up to dozens of wires. At-home sleep studies are now more accessible and more advanced than ever. Here are five common questions answered to help you understand how it all works—and whether it might be the right step for you.
If you’ve recently been told you might have sleep apnea—or you’ve noticed signs like loud snoring, constant fatigue, or waking up gasping for air—it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. Between booking a sleep study and choosing a treatment, it can be hard to know who to trust. That’s why getting advice that’s truly independent and patient-focused is so important.
If you’ve been waking up tired, snoring loudly, or struggling with daytime sleepiness, a sleep study might be the key to getting your energy—and your life—back on track. But with so many providers out there, how do you choose the right one? Here are five important things to consider when picking a sleep study provider, especially if you’re concerned about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
If you’re wondering how much a sleep study costs in Australia, the answer depends on where you go and whether you qualify for Medicare-funded testing.
If you’ve been waking up exhausted, gaining weight without a clear reason, or struggling to stay focused during the day, your body might be trying to tell you something. Sleep disorders—particularly obstructive sleep apnea—are far more common than most people realise, and they often go undiagnosed. Fortunately, getting answers doesn’t have to involve an overnight stay in hospital. A home sleep study can be a simple, effective way to uncover what’s really going on at night.
Struggling to get through the day after a sleepless night is something most of us have experienced. But what if those nights start piling up — week after week, month after month? Chronic insomnia doesn’t just leave you groggy and irritable; it may also be quietly rewiring your metabolism and encouraging your body to store fat.
If you’re tossing and turning night after night, you’re far from alone. Between 30% and 50% of adults experience insomnia symptoms at some point, and around 10% go on to develop chronic insomnia. While we often think of sleep as a luxury we can cut back on, new research shows that consistent sleep deprivation—especially getting fewer than six hours a night—may come at a much higher cost: our brain health. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that causes your airway to repeatedly collapse during the night. This leads to brief moments where you stop breathing—sometimes hundreds of times. You may not even realise it’s happening. But your brain does.
We often hear about the dangers of not getting enough sleep—but what if getting too much sleep could also be harmful? New research suggests that consistently sleeping more than nine hours a night might not just leave you feeling groggy—it could impair your cognitive function and even your brain health in the long run.
