Sleep disorders: causes, remedies, what doctor to contact

Full-fledged sleep - not only a guarantee of vigor and good mood for the whole day, but also a fundamental condition for the preservation of health. If a person sleeps well, the balance of hormones is normal. If you don't get enough sleep, your somatic and mental illnesses worsen. The body's defenses weaken, the ability to work decreases. What are the peculiarities of sleep disorders and what can they lead to?

Sleeping problems as a painful condition

In life, there are situations when, because of the excitement of the upcoming or experienced events it is not possible to fall asleep. But when this happens almost every night, we are talking about a chronic sleep disorder. Women and the elderly are more susceptible to it. In general, a third of the adult population is in the risk group.

In addition to insomnia, which specialists call insomnia, there are other varieties of sleep disorders:

• hypersomnia;
• parasomnia;
• sleep movement and breathing disorders;
• imbalance of circadian rhythms.

Hypersomnia should be understood to mean excessive sleep. People suffering from parasomnia regularly have nightmares and suffer from muscle cramps. One of the most mysterious and not fully understood conditions is sleepwalking or in other words, dreaming. Circadian rhythms are a kind of biological clock of the body, so we must try not to violate the regime of sleep.

Of course, among all these pathologies, insomnia ranks first. It is not difficult to recognize it by the following symptoms:

• The patient falls asleep for a long time and with difficulty;
• Wakes up often at night and can not fall asleep;
• He gets up early and feels exhausted;
• feels tired and irritable during the day.

Causes of sleep disorders

With a prolonged course of insomnia, it is necessary to urgently begin to look for the cause of the problem for further correction of the condition. Insomnia can be both primary and secondary. Primary insomnia is considered an independent disease, while secondary insomnia - a consequence of other diseases.

The list of the main causes include:

• ignoring the sleep regime;
• diseases of organs and systems;
• mental disorders;
• the use of drugs;
• addiction to alcohol;
• nicotine and narcotics;
• coffee and energy drinks;
• chronic stress;
• age-related changes.

Women may experience destabilization of sleep at different periods of the menstrual cycle, as well as at the onset of menopause, when significant hormonal changes are observed. Often pregnant women complain about insomnia.

At different ages, a certain amount of time is required for sleep. For example, schoolchildren should not sit up long at the computer: children should have a night rest from 9 to 11 hours. The younger the child, the longer this period of sleep should be. Adults should also reconsider their regime and allocate 7-9 hours for sleep.

How to normalize sleep

No matter how much you may want to watch TV or read a book in the evening, you should go to bed at the same time. The bedroom is ventilated, and before falling asleep do not use mobile gadgets: the glow disrupts the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Walks in the fresh air, physical activity, proper diet, giving up bad habits are the main conditions for a good rest.

When you need a doctor

Unfortunately, not always general recommendations help to solve the problem. In such a case, there is every reason to seek help from a psychiatrist-psychotherapist or neurologist. There are separate specialists who are engaged in the complex correction of sleep disorders - somnologists. Doctors will conduct an examination, find out the true causes of the pathological conditions and prescribe treatment, such as taking hormones or psychotherapy.