Do I Have a Sleep Disorder?
Definition of a Sleep Disorder
A sleep disorder is a condition that affects the normal sleep patterns of an individual, causing difficulty falling or staying asleep, and may lead to feelings of excessive fatigue and irritability during the day.
5 Ways to Identify and Remedy a Sleep Disorder
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Keep a sleep diary | Tracking your sleep patterns, including the time you go to bed, how long it takes you to fall asleep, how many times you wake up during the night, and how you feel upon waking. |
| Seek medical evaluation | Visiting a healthcare provider to discuss your symptoms and undergo a physical exam, sleep study, and other tests to diagnose the underlying cause of your sleep disorder. |
| Practice good sleep hygiene | Creating a comfortable sleep environment, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, establishing a regular sleep schedule, and avoiding stimulating activities before bedtime. |
| Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) | Working with a therapist to identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors that may be contributing to your sleep disorder. |
| Try medication or other treatments | Discussing with your healthcare provider the use of prescription or over-the-counter medication, or other treatments such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep apnea. |
Video 1:
This video from the Harley Street Medical Center is a great video that covers methods to identify a sleep disorder. This is a perfect video for use in a presentation or class due to the lack of voice over. This will give the student/presenter a clean slate to create audio. You could even mute the video and create your own audio track timed to the video.
Video 2:
AnswersTV.com discusses the prevalence of sleep disorders, what sleep disorders exist, and what symptoms make a sleep disorder. Also, they give an overview of different kinds of sleep disorders. What do sleep analysts look for when doing a sleep study? Describe the following: dyssomnia, parasomnia, insomnia, hypersomnia, and narcolepsy.
