Sleep Disorders in Children, Teens and Adults and Natural remedies

Introduction

Are you suffering from any of the following symptoms?

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Difficulty in staying asleep
• Feel sleepy throughout the day
• Do not feel fresh on getting up in the morning

If yes, you probably are a victim of sleep disorder. Good sleep is a must for routine activities like driving, learning and concentrating on office work. Common sleep disorders are insomnia, sleep deprivation, snoring, sleep walking, hypersomnia and bed wetting in children.

Symptoms

Person with sleep disorders may have following symptoms and signs

• Face difficult time to fall asleep
• Frequent wakening during sleep
• Fatigue even after a good sleep
• Anxiety
• Irritable mood
• Depression

Types

Following are the types of sleep disorders in adults

1. Insomnia: It is difficulty in sleeping or staying asleep
2. Restless leg syndrome: sensations in legs during sleep which are strong enough to interrupt sleep
3. Sleep apnea: It is difficulty in breathing during sleep
4. Narcolepsy: It’s a medical terms which means random attacks of sleep during daytime

Children usually suffer from following sleep disorders

Night mares, talking during sleep, walking during sleep, bed wetting and teeth grinding are common childhood sleep disorders. “Parasomnias” is the name for these disorders in medical filed.

Causes

Allergies can cause runny nose which leads to difficulty in breathing. This cause disturbed sleep. An urge to urinate at regular intervals at night (nocturia) also disturbs sleep. Stress and anxiety at night also causes sleep disorders.

Consequences

Sleep disorder affect human health in various ways. They disturb routine activities and cause weight gain or loss. They also cause hormonal imbalance. A person cannot concentrate enough on school or office work.

Treatment

Treatment includes two modalities which are following.

1. Natural cure

• A natural remedy for sleep disorders is having a cup of Luke warm milk at night.
• Others include avoid using cell phones and laptops before bedtime.
• Making the room dark is necessary before going to sleep.
• Balanced diet is a must to have a sound sleep.
• Person suffering from sleep disorders need to cut down on caffeine, tea and alcohol.
• Limited use of water before going to bed helps to prevent nocturia.
• Wear loose cloths.
• Use a pillow which makes neck comfortable.

Natural cures are only helpful if there is no underlying disease.

2. Medical Treatment

Medical treatment is necessary for adults suffering from sleep disorders. There are some common medicines which the doctors prescribe. These are sleeping pills and melatonin containing pills. If the cause is allergy or cold, doctor will prescribe the relevant medicines.

Outlook

All in all, these diseases are manageable in all age groups. We should consider the symptoms. We should consult a doctor as soon as we notice any of the symptoms. We should follow a specific sleeping routine.