What Is Dyssomnia?

Dyssomnia is a term that refers to a collection of sleep disorders that affect the quantity and quality of sleep. You might have trouble falling asleep at night, which is a symptom of insomnia, or you might feel the desire to sleep excessively, which is called hypersomnolence, if you have dyssomnia. Dyssomnia symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness or feeling tired when you wake up. You may experience more specific symptoms, depending on the type of sleep disorder you have. Unlike parasomnias, dyssomnia does not usually involve aberrant body actions while sleeping. A number of factors cause dyssomnia and they include; sleep issues, mental health issues, and other physical conditions.

Types of Dyssomnia

Dyssomnia is classified into three types. These are determined by the cause of the dyssomnia:

Intrinsic Sleep Disorders

The group of dyssomnia known as intrinsic sleep disorders is caused by internal dysfunction. Intrinsic sleep disorders are a breakdown in the body’s intrinsic sleep-regulating system. These issues can also be caused by other medical irregularities related to sleep. Anomalies related to it include the following:

Narcolepsy

This is a long-term neurological condition in which the sleep-wake cycle of the brain is interrupted. As a result, narcolepsy patients frequently experience significant daytime tiredness, regardless of how much sleep they get at night. Other symptoms include cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle control), sleep paralysis, and hallucinations. There is no recognized cure for narcolepsy. Patients with sleep difficulties, on the other hand, can benefit from a variety of pharmaceutical treatments that can help them become more alert.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome is characterized by the uncontrollable movement of the legs, arms, and occasionally, other body parts. An unpleasant crawling sensation can sometimes accompany uncontrollable movements. Symptoms are more prevalent when you are sitting or lying down, with a peak around sleep. The symptoms can make falling asleep difficult and even wake you up. As a result, you feel fatigued when you wake up. There are drugs that can help to alleviate the syndrome’s discomfort, as well as reduce or eradicate the symptoms.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Periodic limb movement disorder, like restless legs syndrome, interrupts sleep by causing unwanted, frequent movements. Periodic limb movement disorder is characterized by repetitive kicking or twitching of the legs and arms while sleeping. These motions can occur every 20 to 40 seconds or fewer, and insufficient sleep is likely to cause excessive daytime sleepiness. The same drugs that are used to treat restless legs syndrome are frequently used to treat this problem.

Hypersomnia

Hypersomniacs experience frequent bouts of excessive daytime sleepiness and are prone to falling asleep at inconvenient times. They frequently struggle to wake up, even after a long period of sleep. Napping isn’t always effective at relieving pain. Narcolepsy, narcotics, or a medical condition could all be contributing factors to hypersomnia. Medication can be used to alleviate excessive sleepiness.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea causes a partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleeping. The symptoms of this respiratory sleep disease include snoring, choking, snorting, and temporarily stopping breathing. In the morning, one may feel sleepy and have a headache, as well as find it difficult to stay awake during the day and experience extreme daytime sleepiness. A surgical surgery to improve sleep breathing, as well as reducing alcohol intake and losing weight, are all options for treating this disorder.

Extrinsic Sleep Disorder

Dyssomnias based on external factors such as the environment or health practices are known as extrinsic sleep disorders.

Nocturnal Eating Syndrome

This is an eating disorder that develops when you take 25% of your daily calories or more after supper or at night. Insomnia, the need to eat in order to fall asleep, and a melancholy mood at night are some of the other symptoms. The syndrome appears to be caused by a misalignment of the circadian rhythm with the pattern of food consumption. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help those who have a nocturnal eating syndrome.

Sleep Deprivation

Taking care of your sleeping patterns as a whole is referred to as “sleep hygiene.” Good sleep hygiene can be demonstrated in the following ways:

• Every day, go to bed and wake up at the same hour.
• Prior to bedtime, ensure proper diet and avoid coffee and alcohol.
• Getting some exercise during the day
• Setting up a nighttime routine
• Creating a distraction-free sleeping environment

Sleep hygiene can have an adverse effect on the amount and quality of sleep you obtain. If you don’t get enough sleep, you may feel drowsy during the day and find it difficult to concentrate. It can also make it difficult to drive.

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

Anomalies in the circadian rhythm or a circadian rhythm that is misaligned with the environment, such as the light-dark cycle, induce circadian rhythm sleep difficulties. They can cause irritability, melancholy, sleeplessness, and excessive drowsiness.

Jet-Lag Disorder

When you travel quickly across more than two time zones, changes in your sleep-wake routine may cause jet lag. Experts recommend changing your sleep regimen in the days leading up to your trip so that your sleep-wake cycles are more in sync with your destination’s light-dark schedule. Also, exposing yourself to daylight in the morning and darkness in the evening can help you acclimate to your new environment.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

Adolescents frequently suffer from delayed sleep phase syndrome. One tends to fall asleep and wake up later than usual if battling this condition. Also, if you have to get up earlier than you want to go to class or work, you will probably feel foggy or drowsy during the day. Importantly, those who suffer from delayed sleep-phase disorders are unable to fall asleep sooner, even if they wish to. Light therapy and melatonin supplements taken before bedtime are two alternatives for treatment.

Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome

Advanced sleep phase syndrome, the polar opposite of delayed sleep phase syndrome, leads you to fall asleep and wake up early. This is a condition that is more common among the elderly. Sleep masks and light-blocking goggles may be useful in preventing you from waking up too early due to the sun.

Work-Shifting Disorder

The problem of shift work causes you to be out of rhythm with your normal waking and sleeping hours, making it difficult to fall and stay asleep. The number of shifts performed, the length of the shifts, and the frequency with which the shifts are changed impact the severity of these symptoms. When you should be awake, expose yourself to bright light and keep your bedroom dark and quiet to alleviate symptoms. You can also wear sunglasses on your way home during the day to avoid being exposed to light before going to bed. Sleep aids and wake-promoting medicines can help you maintain a consistent sleep-wake cycle in more severe situations.

Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder

Non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder is a less common condition in which a person’s sleep-wake cycle is longer than the standard 24 hours. Each day, one to two hours of sleep and wake time can be added. The condition usually affects between 40 and 60 percent of those who are blind.

Treatment for Dyssomnia

Dyssomnia treatments differ depending on the specific sleep problem that is causing the lack of sleep. To alleviate symptoms, some conditions necessitate medicine and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Also, maintaining a healthy and consistent sleep-wake pattern and having a conducive sleeping environment might also help.

Now that you Know…

Talk to your doctor about dyssomnia if you don’t get enough sleep or your sleep is of poor quality. Also, ensure to provide your doctor with a list of your symptoms so that you can build a strategy for receiving the proper diagnosis and treatment. You can control your symptoms and sleep better if you have a good plan in place.