Do you wake up multiple times at night for no clear reason or find it difficult to fall asleep at all? Do you often feel tired throughout the day, even after spending enough time in bed? What do you do- dismiss them as stress or a bad day and move on?
In recent times, sleeplessness has become a general issue across diverse age groups. This could be primarily due to hectic work schedules, late-night screen time, stress and unhealthy lifestyles. However, experts also raise concerns about the alarming rise in sleep disorders among individuals. Speaking to The Statesman, Dr Sourav Das, senior consultant sleep medicine specialist at Somnos Sleep Clinic, highlights the common types of sleep disorders and how one can identify them.
As stated by Dr Das, sleep is a complex neurological process that cycles between REM sleep (sleep stage associated with dreaming) and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep can be further divided into three stages — N1 (light sleep), N2 (intermediate) and N3 (deep sleep or slow-wave sleep). After N3, the REM sleep occurs. Each cycle lasts for about 60-90 minutes on average and is repeated several times a night. “The N3 and REM sleep are the most important stages as the wear and tear of the body tissues are repaired in these stages,” Dr Das emphasised, adding, “These stages are also responsible for memory consolidation, where unnecessary information is filtered out, and important knowledge is preserved.” Today, there is a surge in sleep disorders that interfere with healthy sleep. To identify and address these issues, Dr Das explained the common sleep disorders.
Insomnia:
Insomnia remains the most common among the various sleep disorders. “If a person finds it difficult to fall asleep, or wakes up frequently during the night, despite having adequate opportunities of sleep, if they get up earlier than intended, or feel very hyperarousal throughout the day — they may be suffering from chronic insomnia,” Dr Das claimed. He further pointed out that poor sleeping habits, anxiety, depression or severe illness contribute to insomnia.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):
Another common yet underdiagnosed disorder is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. “In OSA, the throat muscle relaxes, and the upper airway gets blocked. Even though the lungs are functioning properly, the obstruction of airflow prevents air from entering the body,” Dr Das stated. It leads to a significant drop in oxygen level, and the person abruptly wakes up, gasping for air. These episodes can happen multiple times a night affecting sleep. He further added, “It also releases free radicals, called Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause innumerable damage to our tissues, injuring brain, heart and kidney.” He also specified that the consequences of untreated OSA are severe. It may result in hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cardiac arrest, and even dementia and cancer. The most prominent symptom of OSA is loud snoring.
Restless Leg Syndrome and periodic limb movement:
As per Dr Das, this is another underdiagnosed condition and is particularly common among middle-aged women. “Many times, they complain about having a gnawing pain in their legs that disrupts their sleep. Sometimes, they even have to tie up their legs or ask others to press them. For this reason, the individual keeps on waking up for micro periods, ultimately affecting proper sleep. This is Restless Leg Syndrome where there is an increased urge to move the legs.” He also stressed that the real problem is that people tend to ignore it and carry on with their daily chores. The problem specifically happens at night or when the person is at rest or lying down. It completely goes away when they are walking or in motion.
Parasomnia:
Sleep disorders aren’t always about lack of sleep, sometimes they’re about unusual events that occur during sleep. These are classified as parasomnias and can be divided into REM and Non-REM types. “Isolated Sleep Paralysis is a type of REM parasomnia. In this condition, a person wakes up mentally but can’t move their body. They may also feel that someone is watching them or pressing their chest. Another is REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD), where people physically enact their dreams. This can be dangerous, as they may hurt themselves or their bed partners,” Dr Das shared. On the other hand, non-REM parasomnias include sleepwalking and night terrors. “These typically occur during deep sleep. For instance, night terror includes intense screaming and thrashing during sleep. It can be traumatic for the person and their family,” he added.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder:
According to Dr Das, the prevalence of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder is increasing, but it remains largely unrecognised. “Nowadays, due to mobile phones and other devices, youngsters often sleep late and wake up late. On the other hand, older adults tend to sleep and wake early, sometimes even at 3 am.” As the sleep-wake cycle is out of sync with the natural environment, it disrupts the biological clock. This can further result in chronic fatigue, irritability and poor performance during the day.
Dr Das explained the factors that contribute to sleep disorders, “Sleep disorders are mostly multifactorial. The conditions can be caused by genetics, unhealthy lifestyle, psychological or physiological factors like stress, anxiety, or chronic diseases”. He further elaborated on how one can differentiate between occasional sleep disturbances and chronic sleep disorders. “If the problem is happening three days a week and for more than three months, it’s time to consult a sleep doctor.”
As sleep disorders continue to pose a threat, experts like Dr Das stress the need for increased awareness and timely intervention. He concluded by busting a widespread myth. He claimed that turning to sleeping pills due to sleeplessness is not the solution. These medications suppress the REM and slow-wave sleep (sleep stages responsible for restoration) and instead increase lighter stages of sleep. “You may feel like you’re sleeping, but your body isn’t going through the essential restorative processes it needs. This is why sleeping pills are not an effective long-term solution for poor sleep.”