Sleep Disorders - Insomnia

A sleep disorder can affect how often and how well you sleep. Lack of sufficient sleep can be caused by a myriad of reasons it can also affect your health.  Sleep can affect almost every facit of your life including: driving, relationships, injuries, your ability to do your job, your memory, and your mood.
Lack of sleep can even be linked to conditions like hypertension and diabetes.  If you have the following symptoms below you may have a sleep disorder.

• Excessive tiredness during the day.
• Trouble falling or staying asleep.
• Restless legs or inability to lay still while sleeping.
• Snoring or Sleep Apnea (stop breathing while sleeping).

So how much sleep does a person need?  I know that I have insomnia.  I've had it since I was a teenager.  I typically can get 4-6 hours in one stretch before I wake up.  Very rarely has my body had the ability to sleep for a full 8 hours in one stretch.

• Infants need 16 hours of sleep.
• Teenagers need 9 hours of sleep.
• Adults need 7-8 hours of sleep.

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep.  It is the most common sleep disorder. Insomnia has been linked to what is referred to as "sleep hygiene."  Sleep hygiene refers to things that can affect your sleeping habits like drinking coffee in the afternoon, eating heavy foods before bed, smoking, having a varied bed time, or falling asleep with the TV or lights on.

Mental health issues like depression and anxiety can also cause insomnia. These conditions can cause you to stay awake worrying or causing habits while you sleep like grinding your teeth. Sadly, often a side effect of the medication to treat the condition also affects sleep. 

Lack of sleep can be linked to several conditions. Some can be caused by lack of sleep and others are exacerbated or worsened by lack of sleep.

• Arthritus
• Heart Burn
• Chronic Pain
• Asthma
• COPD
• Heart Failure
• Thyroid
• Neurological disorders like stroke, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.

References:
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-sleep-disorders-overview?ecd=wnl_wmh_040115&ctr=wnl-wmh-040115_nsl-ld-stry&mb=1fvEi6fjCQIExn%40Mx3jvsOHnVev1imbC3AXI5mexUT0%3d