Dyssomnia – Everything You Need to Know About It

Restful and peaceful sleep is essential for physiological and mental health. Yet, sleep disorders like dyssomnia, where a person is unable to stay asleep and wakes up frequently, people face a lot of issues. Due to this irregular sleep pattern, they feel irritated, have low energy levels, and feel sleepy almost always.

If you think your sleep is also disturbed or you face difficulty falling, staying asleep, and feeling exhausted. In that case, you should read the post to understand dyssomnia, the sleep disorder, its types, symptoms, causes, and potential solutions.

The first step towards enjoying a good night’s sleep is understanding your triggers and creating a sleep schedule and environment promoting sleep.

What is Dyssomnia?

It is a group of sleep disorders that make sleeping peacefully at night difficult. The person encounters

sleeplessness due to continuous leg movement and other physiological and psychological conditions. It is trying to work but cannot because the light flickers, interfering with work. There are different types of dyssomnia, each causing anxiety, distress, and anxiousness.

Types of Dyssomnia:

According to DSM V, there are different types of sleep-wake disorders. Here’s the rundown of the most common types of dyssomnia:

1. Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders that people are aware of. It makes falling and staying asleep difficult throughout the night. Its common symptoms include:

• Difficulty falling asleep.
• Energy drain.
• Mood fluctuations.

2. Hypersomnia is characterized as excessive sleeping. In this condition, even after adequate sleep at night, the person feels sleepy during the day and sometimes confuses daytime naps with night sleep and argues. Its common symptoms are:

• Feel sleepy during the day.
• The person doesn’t feel energetic even after sleeping for ten or more hours.
• They find waking up in the morning difficult.

3. Narcolepsy is more than sleepiness. This brain and nervous system disorder disrupts the ability to control the sleep and wake cycle, making the person lose control over the episodes of sleep during the day. Its common symptoms include:

• They can sleep anytime and anywhere.
• A sudden muscle tone loss or slurred speech occurs for a few minutes after getting up (Cataplexy).
• Sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations (Seeing things that aren’t there during sleep), and hypnopompic hallucinations (seeing things during and when waking up).

4. Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders interfere with the body’s internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. This affects sleep patterns and quality of sleep. There are different types of this disorder. They are:

1. Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSWPD)
2. Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome (ASWPD)
3. Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm (ISWRD)
4. Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD)
5. Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder
6. Non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder (N24SWD)

Its most common symptoms are:

• Reduced alertness
• Difficulty in making decisions or memorizing and recalling things.
• Irregular nap or wake times.

5. Parasomnias, this disruptive sleep disorder, doesn’t let the person sleep peacefully as during sleep, the person either moves, gets emotional, walks in sleep, have night terrors, making the bed partner think the person is awake. Its common symptoms include:

• Unable to sleep through the night.
• Wake up confused or disoriented.
• Disturbing dreams or nightmares.

6. Idiopathic insomnia The person starts experiencing this rare disorder in childhood, and there is no reason for it. It is also known as childhood-onset insomnia. Its common symptoms include:

• Persistent difficulty falling asleep.
• The sleep is for a limited period.
• Impaired daytime functioning.

7. Sleep-related breathing Disorders: One doesn’t have to put conscious effort into breathing. However, while sleeping, breathing naturally becomes difficult for some, resulting in snoring or wheezing sounds, Sleep apnea (OSA), and central sleep apnea. Its common symptoms include:

• Loud snoring.
• Morning headache or mouth dryness when awake
• Wheezing while sleeping.

8. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): The person has a tingling or pinching sensation in their legs, forcing them to move their legs disrupting sleep. Its common symptoms include:

• Sensation in the legs.
• Symptoms worsen during periods of inactivity.

Symptoms of Dyssomnia:

• Pain in legs.
• A strong urge to move legs while sleeping.
• Restlessness during sleep.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Feel unrested in the morning.
• Inability to stay awake or asleep.
• Uncomfortable sleeping.

Causes of Dyssomnia:

Several factors can cause dyssomnia. However, as each person is different, they can vary from person to person. The most common causes are:

1. Stress and anxiety
2. Constant worry
3. Racing thoughts
4. Emotional upheaval
5. Too much caffeine intake
6. Smoking before sleeping
7. Irregular sleep patterns
8. Mood disorder
9. Depression
10. Exposed to other sleep disorders
11. Night shift
12. Antidepressants and steroids
13. Age
14. Hormonal changes
15. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Diagnosing Dyssomnias

Diagnosing dyssomnia cannot be done by simple physical examination. For a proper diagnosis, the healthcare professional must perform tests, study the sleep cycles, and discuss history and sleeping patterns.

1. History Taking: Collecting data about past health conditions, medications, sleep habits, routine, family history, and symptoms they are experiencing is collected. This information helps in the understanding of sleep duration, daytime drowsiness, and disturbed behaviors during sleep.

2. Body Checkup: Different factors are responsible for sleep disorders, including physical health. A person can face issues if the heart or blood vessels are malfunctioning. Hence, the cardiovascular system is examined here. This helps identify and eliminate physical causes.

3. Sleep Log: Creating and maintaining a sleep diary is done to understand the sleep cycle and the factors. This helps create logs that help see the sleep patterns, bedtime routines, and lifestyle factors that might impact sleep quality.

4. Questionnaires and Scales: Standardized questionnaires and scales are also used to check the severity and create an action plan. They help understand what kind of medical intervention is required and how the person can be helped so that they can deal with the triggers.

5. Polysomnography (PSG): In some cases, when the sleep disorder is causing memory loss and physical health is compromised, PSG is conducted. It helps check brain activity, eye movement, heart rate, breathing effort, and limb movements during sleep.

With the help of these tools and tests, and others like the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) and Home Sleep Apnea Test, evaluating a person’s sleep cycle, wakefulness, and activity level can be easily diagnosed. Using these tests to identify sleep-related problems is essential as it helps to understand the underlying issues and what can be done to treat the patient.

Why is Sleep Important for Overall Health?

A person should be well-rested for overall well-being because the body starts repairing when asleep. This is why when you visit a doctor, they ask about the sleep cycle, as it helps them understand the body’s physiological, cognitive, and emotional functions. Alongside this, there are other reasons why sleep is vital for maintaining health:

1. Muscle Repair:

The body starts its repairing process when a person is asleep because this is when the brain can see which body parts need attention and releases hormones that promote muscle growth and repair. When the person goes into deep sleep, cellular repair occurs, and all the tissue and muscle damage due to activities in the day is repaired so that you can start your day fresh and with total energy.

2. Strengthens Immune System:

A proper sleep cycle is proportional to a healthy immune and digestive system. This is why when an individual cannot sleep properly at night, they feel heavy, unrested, and constipated when they wake up. In contrast, an individual who sleeps well at night feels fresh and energetic, has a strong immune system, and has proper digestion.

3. Better Memory and Coordination

A good night’s sleep is essential for proper cognitive functioning and for remembering things well. People with sleep disorders have issues remembering things. They cannot focus and concentrate, and their productivity decreases. Feeling rested is essential for retaining the information one has collected throughout the day, and this can only happen when an individual sleeps well at night.

4. Emotions are Regulated

Sleeplessness not only causes mental and physical loss but also makes one irritated, agitated, anxious, and frustrated. The person can only have the energy to work through the day when they feel rested. Lack of sleep affects the neurotransmitters and mood-regulating hormones, causing mood swings.

5. Slows down weight loss process

An individual’s metabolic rate depends on the quality of sleep one has. Irregular or disturbed sleep makes one gain weight and slows down metabolism. The hormones that regulate hunger are disturbed, affecting the weight loss process and leading to a risk of metabolic conditions such as diabetes.

6. Risk of chronic diseases is reduced:

Lack of sleep increases the risk of heart diseases like hypertension. Therefore, one must sleep well for overall well-being and to keep blood pressure and insulin levels in control.

7. Reduces stress:

Adequate sleep reduces stress and controls cortisol (the stress hormone), insulin (which regulates blood sugar), and growth hormone. A person who sleeps properly is less stressed and can cope with stressors, lowering the risk of health issues like anxiety and depression.

8. Improved Physical Performance:

Sleep helps with muscle recovery, coordination, focus, and concentration, helping sportspeople and individuals perform physical activities that require strength and stamina.

9. Balancing Circadian Rhythms:

Sleep balances the biological clock responsible for the sleep-wake cycle, hormone secretion, and other physiological processes. Those with a sleep schedule rarely face issues with the body’s circadian rhythm, which helps them sleep well and feel rested.

Ways to Treat Sleep Disorders

The treatment plan for each sleep disorder varies from person to person because of its underlying causes. However, there are some common strategies that everyone can adopt to deal with sleep disorders:

1. Have a Sleep Schedule:

Discipline is the key to improving a lot of things. With a proper schedule, a person can finish work on time and go to bed on time. When facing episodes of insomnia, try to create a sleep schedule. This means you should sleep and wake up at a specific time. Practice this for a minimum of 21 days, and see things changing.

Eat 3-4 hours before your sleep schedule so that the food has enough time to digest and you can sleep. Also, avoid drinking water before bed as it will interfere with your sleep quality. To improve sleep, ensure no light is in the room, no one disturbs you, no gadgets are in the room, and the room temperature makes you feel cozy and comfortable.

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT I):

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy not only helps with cognitive distortions. It even helps with insomnia and is hence often referred to as CBT I or CBT for insomnia. This technique focuses on addressing cognitive and behavioral factors contributing to insomnia, including restructuring thoughts, sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control, and relaxation techniques.

3. Medications:

Depending on the severity of the sleep disorder, medications may be prescribed. In some cases, for patients who haven’t slept for days, hypnotics, stimulants, and melatonin supplements are prescribed by the health care provider.

4. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy:

If the sleep disorder is caused by difficulty breathing when asleep, CPAP therapy is given under healthcare professionals’ guidance to deliver air flow and keep the airway open during sleep.

5. Keep naps in check:

When you want to nap, limit it to ( 20-30 minutes) and avoid taking a nap on the bed where you feel well-rested. Avoid napping before bedtime or late afternoon naps, as it might disrupt your sleep.

6. Exercise:

Make physical exercise a part of your routine. Lack of physical activity interferes with the sleep cycle; hence, it is important to be active. When doing an intense workout, complete it a few hours before bed, as it promotes better sleep quality and muscle repair is adequately done.

7. Mediate

Practice relaxation techniques like breathing, meditation, or yoga. These help manage stress and promote sleep. Create a space that promotes sleep. Ensure there is no noise or light and that the mattress you sleep on is comfortable.

These strategies can support sleep patterns while keeping stress levels in check.

Develop Healthy Sleep Habits

One cannot feel healthy if they have sleep disorders or their sleep is disturbed. To stay fit, sleeping well at night is crucial. But this doesn’t mean there is a time duration during which you should be in bed. A good night’s sleep means quality over quantity. For some, sleeping for 16 hours is also not enough; for others, even a 4-5 hour sleep is enough.

So focus on sleeping well, not on the hours. If your body feels sleep deprived, look at the signs, make some changes in your schedule, create a bedtime routine, know your stress triggers, practice meditation, do some physical activities and see the changes. Remember that consistency is key here.

Adapt to your changes, create an environment that promotes sleep, and, if necessary, contact a professional. Make your sleep a priority. Let these lifestyle tips help you experience rejuvenating nights and energized days.

Read More

• Guide to Beating Sleep Anxiety
• Sleep Deprivation and Anxiety