Getting Help with Insomnia and Sleeping Disorders
Many times, people feel difficulty in sleeping. Sometimes they get up in the middle of the night and then can't sleep. These are the sleeping disorders that affect our ability to sleep caused by health problems or by stress.
Sometimes deficiency of vitamins and minerals also becomes the cause to trigger sleeping disorders. People with sleeping disorders can feel the tension in their muscles, difficulty concentrating, eyesight problems, hair loss, and weight gain.
Sleep disorder can become complicated with other type mental problems such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. It can affect the overall health, safety and quality of life increase the risk of other health problems. At Evergreen Rehab & Wellness, we have a clinical counselor that can help you with insomnia and other sleeping disorders.
Want to book an appointment at Evergreen Rehab and Wellness Clinic? Call us at 604-449-5859 to find the best solution. We will help you make positive changes in your life.
Understanding the Sleeping Disorders
Struggling with the sleeping schedule is known as sleeping disorders or somnipathy. Many people exaggerate their normal sleeping problems (occasionally experiencing difficulty sleeping or waking for some time) with sleeping disorders. Each person can suffer different types of sleeping disorders as it comes in a variety of forms.
People with sleeping disorders can feel the disruption in their restful sleep. The disruption depends on the stage of sleeping disorder; it can be mild or severe and can be fatal (leading to death). Usually, each person with a sleeping disorder suffers from one form of sleeping disorder, but it can also be increased to multiple forms in an individual.
Most of the time, when people feel that they are having sleeping problems, they start taking medications on their experience level; sleeping pills are the most common. Sleeping pills have disastrous side effects if used without the advice of doctors. When people take sleeping pills, they feel that it is treating the disorder, but the reality is that sleeping pills treat the symptoms of sleeping disorders, not the causes. Sometimes pills show their harmful effects and can worsen the disorder.
Signs and Symptoms
Sleep disorders affect everyone differently, so symptoms will also not always be the same. But following are some of the major symptoms which are common in most of the cases.
- Difficulty in concentration on something or mental fog.
- Difficulty in decision making due to low attention
- Muscle tension or pain
- Eyesight problems or difficulty in focusing eyes on something
- Emotional problems, stress, anxiety, and depression
- Stress causes hair loss problems
- Weight gain - people with sleeping disorders want to eat more or face an increase in appetite.
- Insomnia - people can't sleep, and when they sleep, they find themselves awake in the middle of the night.
- Hypersomnia - it is the opposite of insomnia, where people feel difficulty in staying awake.
- Some people feel drowsiness and fall asleep at an inappropriate time, such as in the mid of an exam
- Nightmares - dreams interrupt your sleep
Types of sleep disorders
Each individual has a separate type of sleep disorder, and each type of disorder has its unique effects and causes. The following are some common types of sleeping disorders.
- Insomnia
Insomnia is the most famous type of sleeping disorder in which people cannot stay asleep or get restless sleep. It is caused by health problems, stress, anxiety, and medications’ side effects. Insomnia is a short-term sleeping disorder and can be treated with therapies instead of medications. - Hypopnear
Hypopnea is a sleeping disorder caused due to low breathing during sleep. It is also known as partial apnea, in which the person feels difficulty in breathing due to reduced airflow. Lack of oxygen causes the person to awake from sleep to get air. - Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a severe case than hypopnea in which the person temporarily stops breathing during sleep and awake in a jerking way to get air. It can be fatal in some cases. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of apnea in which tissues in your throat cause to stop your airway. You will loudly snore at night and will not aware of it. Your partner will be aware of your loud snoring and breathing obstruction problem. If you are suffering from such problems, then you should immediately consult a doctor for treatment. You may need an airway device that helps you to come over your sleeping disorder. Exercises will also help you to treat sleep apnea. - Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is another type of sleeping disorder that is caused by a strong emotional reaction to something. It is also known as sleep attacks and is caused by the brain’s dysfunction over the sleeping and waking cycle. It’s very dangerous while you are on the worksite, especially working with glass. Narcolepsy is usually caused due to depression and can be treated with therapies and lifestyle changes.
How can counselling help Insomnia and sleeping issues?
Sleep disorders are mainly caused by physical and psychological concerns, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Taking counselling from therapists will help you to come over your sleeping disorders. Counselling will consist of different kinds of therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, which helps you to treat your psychological problems, such as anxiety or depression because these are the main causes to trigger sleeping disorders.
Your counselling therapist will also suggest you record your sleeping and awakening routine in a sleep journal, which helps you recognize your sleep habits and duration. According to the routine, your therapist will suggest you the therapies such as sleep restriction therapy, which follow a strict sleeping schedule to help your body to adapt your sleeping schedule. Counselling will also help you adjust to healthy sleep habits, which means you don't need to take any drugs to sleep.
Treatment for Sleeping Disorder
The most common therapy used to treat the sleeping disorder is Cognitive Behavioral therapy, which maintains your psychological health to come over the sleeping disorders.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a type of counselling and focuses on our way of thinking about how we look at the world and ourselves. Cognitive means how our negative thoughts contribute to our mind's fear level, and behavioral means how we behave in a situation that creates trauma. Cognitive Behavioral therapy treats feelings of a person such as anger, fear, and guilt. The therapist first analyzes your negative thoughts and teaches you how to deal with them and then replace them with real thoughts.
Want to book an appointment at Evergreen Rehab and Wellness Clinic? Call us at 604-449-5859 to find the best solution. We will help you make positive changes in your life.