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.
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.
If you’re someone who thrives after dark - staying up late, feeling more alert in the evening - you might consider yourself a classic night owl. But new research suggests this natural tendency could come with a hidden cost: faster cognitive decline over time. A large, long-term study from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands has found that people with a night owl chronotype - meaning their internal body clock favours late nights and late mornings - may be more vulnerable to cognitive decline, especially when compared to early risers.
Sleep isn’t just a time of rest - it’s a highly active process that plays a critical role in cognitive function, especially in how we process memories and acquire new knowledge. Modern neuroscience has demonstrated that sleep supports two essential brain functions: consolidating memories from the past and preparing the brain to learn new information in the future.
Feeling constantly tired, foggy, or low on energy - even after what seems like a full night’s sleep? For many Australian men, the problem isn’t how long they’re sleeping — it’s how well.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious but underdiagnosed sleep disorder that affects around 1 in 4 men over the age of 30. Even more alarming, up to 80% of people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it.
Getting less than five hours of sleep a night? You could be lowering your testosterone levels without even realising it. Studies show that just one week of restricted sleep — under five hours per night — can cause a 10–15% drop in testosterone in healthy young men. And for many men, poor sleep isn’t just the occasional late night — it’s a nightly pattern, often driven by an underlying issue like obstructive sleep apnea.
Do you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept at all — even after a full eight hours in bed? Do you find yourself yawning through meetings, zoning out in conversations, or struggling to concentrate at work? If so, sleep apnea might be quietly draining your energy and focus — without you even realising it.
If you’re constantly feeling distracted, forgetful, or mentally flat, the problem may not be stress or lack of motivation — it might be your sleep. More specifically, it could be a condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which affects how your brain functions even while you’re awake.
