How Common Are Sleep Disorders?

There is a good chance that you either know someone that suffers from a sleep disorder or you suffer from one yourself. This should give you a hint as to how common sleep disorders are. Indeed, it is not a matter of one out of five – it’s more like four out of five people suffer from sleep disorders. Why are sleep disorders so prevalent? For one thing, humans have a lot of exterior factors that can cause them to stay up at night. Not only that, but humans also suffer from evolutionary glitches that cause respiratory issues during sleep. Here are some sleep disorders that people commonly suffer from.

Sleep Disorders

1. Sleep apnea. When it comes to common sleep conditions, sleep apnea is at the top of the list. It is typically caused by an enlarged glottis in the throat. When humans evolved to speak and stand up straight, they gave up a much more evolved respiratory system for a more compacted one. As a result, about twenty million people are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea every year – millions more are undiagnosed. When it comes down to it, the number one treatment option for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP – a machine that can be found at a retailer like Americare Respiratory Systems.
2. A lot of people also suffer from insomnia. The truth of the matter is that there isn’t usually one common cause for this condition – there are many. For instance, you may be stressed out because of work or family issues. These stress factors can cause you to stay up at night and suffer from acute insomnia. Moreover, depression can also cause you to suffer from insomnia. If you feel like you are having trouble sleeping, you definitely want to speak with a doctor or psychologist.
3. Sleep paralysis. This is a scary sleep condition that is actually a lot more common than you think. This condition is characterized by a feeling of waking up and not being able to move. In most cases, fear sets in – so does a sense of panic. Basically, sleep paralysis happens when your mind wakes up, but your body does not. When you sleep, your body goes into a very light state of paralysis to prevent you from acting out your dreams. However, if you have sleep paralysis, you can wake up and feel paralyzed, which can be horrifying. It usually takes a few moments for your body to kick into gear.
4. Restless leg syndrome. This is another really common condition that happens to people when they are trying to sleep. Basically, people with restless leg syndrome have an urge to kick and fidget their legs. When they do, the urge goes away, but it quickly comes back, which can cause fitful sleep.
5. On top of everything, another common sleep condition is oversleeping. Like insomnia, this condition is usually caused by depression. The worst part is that indulging oversleeping can make it worse. In the end, you may want to speak with a therapist if you are suffering from this condition.