Digi Bits

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

The Two Most Common Sleeping Disorders

If you have trouble sleeping, you are not alone. Millions of Americans have trouble sleeping each year. This article explains the two most common sleeping disorders that affect people every night.

Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as the inability to fall asleep or to get a restful, quality sleep at night. Many people who suffer from Insomnia are not able to get to sleep until the wee hours in the morning. Insomnia is most likely due to stress and worrying at bedtime. However many people don’t realize that drinking caffeine and alcohol at night might also prevent them from falling asleep or having a restful sleep.

Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apne is usually caused by a blockage within the throat that stops oxygen from entering the lungs during sleep causing the person to wake up repeatedly during the night. Usually the blockage is caused by either loosening of the muscles in the throat or the tongue blocking the airways. Many people can stop breathing over 100 times a night. A person might be without oxygen for 10 seconds to over a minute.

The good news is that there is an effective treatment that can remedy the situation. It is called a CPAP for continuous positive air pressure. It is a mask that is worn at night that forces oxygen into the lungs. It has shown positive results on an overwhelming majority of patients that suffer from sleep apnea.

If you think that you are suffering from a sleep disorder, it is best to consult your physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.