7 Sleep Disorders That You Should Know About Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Sleep 7 Common Sleep Disorders From insomnia to sleep apnea to parasomnias like sleepwalking, any condition that prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep can have a big effect on your health. By Wyatt MyersMedically Reviewed by Jason Paul Chua, MD, PhDReviewed: March 7, 2022Medically ReviewedSleep disorders can interfere with even your best efforts at good sleep hygiene.Ivan Gener/StocksyWe all have trouble sleeping from time to time. But if you regularly sleep poorly or wake up feeling tired, you may have an underlying sleep disorder.Sleep disorders are conditions that impair your slumber or prevent you from getting a good night’s rest, according to the Cleveland Clinic. An estimated 70 million people in the United States have a sleep disorder.You may be suffering from a sleep disorder if: You have trouble falling asleep or remaining asleepYou find it difficult to stay awake during the dayYour sleep-wake patterns are irregular, or interfere with a healthy sleep routineYou are prone to unusual behaviors that disrupt your sleep Different sleep disorders are caused by different problems, and some come with long-term health risks that are more serious than others. But the bottom line is that any issue that’s preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep poses a risk to your health and well-being, and warrants looking into. The good news is that most sleep disorders can be managed with the help of a sleep specialist, your primary care doctors, and some changes to your nighttime routine. Here is a list of seven common sleep disorders and how each one can be treated. 1 Obstructive Sleep ApneaWhat it is A common, but estimated to be frequently underdiagnosed, sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by extended pauses in breathing while you sleep. Sleep apnea can occur when the upper airway gets blocked repeatedly during sleep, cutting off airflow. Someone with sleep apnea may snore, gasp for breath, or choke during sleep, and may be unaware that it’s happening. “Severe sleep apnea can cause irregular heart rate, lack of oxygen to the brain, and even death [if untreated for a long time],” says Mangala Nadkarni, MD, the medical director of the center for sleep disorders at the Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. Symptoms someone might notice earlier on after developing sleep apnea are excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue, because the blocked breathing during sleep prevents someone from getting to the deep, more restorative stages of sleep. Long term, sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension, heart failure, and stroke.It’s estimated that between 2 and 9 percent of American adults have sleep apnea. It can affect children and adults of both sexes, although it’s more common in men. How to treat it Apnea must be diagnosed with the help of a sleep specialist who'll conduct a physical exam and look at your medical history and the results of a sleep study. Lifestyle changes such as weight loss, improvements to your diet, reduced alcohol intake, and side sleeping can be helpful for some. Specialists also use dental devices, surgery, or sleeping with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to help. CPAP machines are the most common form of treatment — they push air through a mask and into the airway to keep it open during sleep. 2 InsomniaWhat it is If you’re lying awake struggling to sleep three times a week for at least three months, you may have chronic insomnia. With insomnia, you may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting a good night’s sleep overall. The inability to get a good night’s rest can lead to a whole host of medical problems if it’s not addressed properly, including problems with memory, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes, which is why getting help for sleep problems is important. Some people are at a higher risk of this common sleep disorder, such as those who have an irregular sleep schedule because of work. Other risk factors include age, family history and genetics, and lifestyle factors, such as caffeine consumption, naps during the day, or use of electronic devices before bedtime. Research suggests that insomnia affects 30 to 48 percent of older adults. And it may affect up to 23.8 percent of teenagers. How to treat it A number of behavioral changes may help, such as making your bedroom cool, dark, and comfortable; practicing relaxation techniques before bed; and removing electronics from the bedroom and avoiding use close to bedtime, including your TV. If those things don’t help, talk to a doctor. He or she may prescribe cognitive behavioral therapy (the gold-standard first-line treatment for insomnia) or another strategy. It’s important to remember that doctors have a lot of tools to help you improve your sleep, so don’t let this problem go unaddressed. 3 NarcolepsyWhat it is Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which a person's sleep-wake cycle becomes dysregulated. It can cause periods of excessive fatigue in the daytime (due to nighttime sleep disruptions), as well as involuntary periods of sleep throughout the day called “sleep attacks” that last from a few seconds to several minutes. These episodes can be extremely dangerous, depending on what you’re doing when you fall asleep, such as driving a car.People with narcolepsy often have low levels of a neurotransmitter called hypocretin, which helps you stay awake. Sometimes people diagnosed with this sleep disorder don’t have lower levels of hypocretin; in this case, it isn’t clear why they have narcolepsy. Overall, a combination of genetics, autoimmune health, and environmental factors put some people at greater risk for narcolepsy. How to treat it Narcolepsy is a chronic condition and there is no cure. Narcolepsy treatment usually focuses on improving safety, reducing symptoms, and making lifestyle adjustments to improve quality of life. Medication, supplemented by behavioral changes, is often effective. Some patients schedule short naps, avoid alcohol and sedatives, and make sure they exercise in the daytime to help them fall asleep at night. 4 Night TerrorsWhat it is Night terrors are a parasomnia that is most common in children and cause intense fear that will make your child almost inconsolable. (Parasomnias are sleep disorders that cause undesired or disruptive behavior that disrupts your sleep, and can be dangerous; the behaviors can happen at any point during sleep.) A night terror is not technically a dream, but a strong reaction as a child transitions from one sleep phase to another. They usually occur two to three hours after sleep begins, and last from seconds to a few minutes.Sleep terrors affect almost 30 percent of children, and a much smaller percentage of adults, according to estimates. Most children grow out of sleep terrors by the time they reach adolescence. How to treat it It is best not to wake up your child if they are experiencing a night terror because they will be disoriented. Instead, sit by quietly and make sure they don't hurt themselves. To try to stop night terrors from occurring, do your best to reduce stress in the child’s environment, prevent them from staying up too late, and create a calming, soothing bedtime routine. In some instances, medication may be needed to control the night terrors, says Matthew Edlund, MD, the director of the Center for Circadian Medicine in Sarasota, Florida, and the author of The Power of Rest and The Body Clock Advantage. 5 Restless Legs SyndromeWhat it is You may have restless legs syndrome if you lie down to sleep only to experience an unpleasant sensation in your legs coupled with an uncontrollable urge to get up and move. This condition is difficult to deal with because symptoms flare up when you want to do just the opposite — relax and go to sleep. Other symptoms include itching, prickling, pulling, or crawling — sensations that cause you to want to move your legs. Restless legs syndrome, which is also sometimes known as Willis Ekbom disease, affects about 5 to 10 percent of adults. It can also occur temporarily during pregnancy — research suggests it’s one of the most common movement disorders diagnosed in the third trimester, and the symptoms taper off after delivery. How to treat it Cut back on caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco, and your doctor may recommend certain medications to control the condition. Dr. Edlund suggests taking a walk before bedtime to help fight the urge to move when you are ready to sleep.Research has pointed to daytime exercise as helpful. There’s also some evidence that massages and compression therapy may help. 6 Sleep ParalysisWhat it is During sleep paralysis, individuals describe being awakened from sleep but unable to move. It’s a scary situation to be in, especially because these episodes are often accompanied by hallucinations, nightmares, or even a sensation of pressure on the chest. Some people who encounter sleep paralysis say they can see a supernatural creature or human intruder in their bedroom. Sleep paralysis is categorized as a parasomnia. Researchers suggest it may be a mixed state of consciousness, mixing consciousness and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep together. This may be why people lose their muscle control and visualize images even though they feel awake. (REM sleep is the stage of sleep characterized by our most vivid dreaming and temporary muscle paralysis, thought to be a protective mechanism to prevent people from acting out their dreams and injuring themselves.) How to treat it If you have narcolepsy or sleep apnea, which are often underlying problems contributing to sleep paralysis, the treatments mentioned above should also help. Sleep hygiene is a key component to treating sleep paralysis: Maintain a regular bedtime, exercise regularly, and make sure your bedroom is free from noise and bright lights that might interrupt your slumber. 7 SleepwalkingWhat it is This is probably one of the best known of the parasomnias and, as the name suggests, it's when a person gets up and walks around while in deep sleep. Sleepwalking can be dangerous to the sleeper and others if the person tries to go downstairs, uses sharp or dangerous objects, becomes violent, leaves the home, or tries to drive a car or operate other machinery. Sleepwalking more commonly occurs in children than adults. It’s also more likely to happen if there is a family history of the condition or if the person is sleep-deprived, stressed, or is prone to waking up at night. How to treat it As with other parasomnias, you can reduce safety risks to the sleepwalker by making the bedroom safe. It may be necessary to keep doors shut and put gates at stairways. Some households install motion sensors or door alarms that trigger if a person gets out of bed. In some cases, medical evaluation and medication is necessary to control sleepwalking. Additional reporting by Carmen Chai. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking Common Sleep Disorders. Cleveland Clinic. December 23, 2020.Sleep Disorders. Sleep Foundation. December 1, 2020.Sleep Apnea. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. February 2022.Sleep Apnea. Sleep Foundation. July 9, 2021.Insomnia. Sleep Foundation. January 31, 2022.Insomnia. National Institutes of Health. February 2022.Patel D, Steinberg J, et al. Insomnia in the Elderly. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. June 15, 2018.Donskoy I, Loghmanee D. Insomnia in Adolescence. Medical Sciences. September 1, 2018.Narcolepsy. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Narcolepsy. Sleep Foundation. February 17, 2021.Parasomnias & Disruptive Sleep Disorders. Cleveland Clinic. April 29, 2021.Van Horn NL, Street M. Night Terrors. Stat Pearls. July 10, 2021.Sleep Terrors (Night Terrors). Mayo Clinic. April 23, 2021.Restless Legs Syndrome. Sleep Foundation. January 20, 2022.Restless Legs Syndrome. National Library of Medicine. May 1, 2018.Darvishi N, Daneshkhah A, et al. The Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED) in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. BMC Neurology. April 13, 2020.McManama Aukerman M, Aukerman D, et al. Exercise and Restless Legs Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. September 2006.Mitchell UH. Nondrug-Related Aspect of Treating Ekbom Disease, Formerly Known as Restless Legs Syndrome. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. May 6, 2011.Sleep Paralysis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. American Sleep Association. February 2022.What You Should Know About Sleep Paralysis. Sleep Foundation. January 18, 2022.Sleepwalking. Sleep Foundation. November 29, 2021.Sleepwalking. Mayo Clinic. July 21, 2017.Sleepwalking: Diagnosis. Mayo Clinic. July 21, 2017.Show LessNEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Living Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Sleep Night Owls Have a Higher Risk of Diabetes Heart Disease Staying up late at night and sleeping in later in the morning may make people more likely to develop certain chronic diseases, a new study suggests.By Lisa RapaportSeptember 27, 2022 Can Sex Help You Sleep The body responds to orgasm by unleashing hormones that may help you fall asleep faster and log better-quality sleep.By Moira LawlerAugust 24, 2022 Disparities in Who' s Getting Good Sleep for Black Other Minority CommunitiesBy Sari HarrarAugust 17, 2022 What Sleep Experts Do in the Morning to Set Themselves Up for Good Nightly SleepOpen the blinds, get out of bed, and meditate. Here are the a.m. routines sleep experts swear by.By Leah GrothAugust 16, 2022 Does the Navy SEAL Power Nap Really Leave You Feeling Rested in 8 Minutes Sleep experts weigh in on whether the trending sleep hack really works.By Elena BarreraAugust 8, 2022 7 Tips for a Good Night s Sleep in the Summer Heat and HumiditySoaring temperatures don’t have to sabotage your sleep. Here are some expert tips, plus when to talk to your doctor about night sweats.By Karla WalshJuly 21, 2022 A Complete Guide to Sleep Gummies and What They DoBy Leah GrothJuly 18, 2022 Study Finds Climate Change Could Be Bad for Sleep TooIt’s a problem because less sleep increases risk of lots of chronic health problems, and can interfere with cognitive function and mood.By Oladimeji EwumiJune 3, 2022 Scientists Find 7 Hours Sleep Is Best for Middle-Aged BrainsMiddle-aged and older adults have worse cognitive function when they get too little or too much sleep, a new study suggests.By Lisa RapaportMay 5, 2022 Everyday Health s Sleep Twitter Chat Here s What You MissedIt’s something you do every day, but most of us miss the mark. Here’s what top sleep experts had to say about getting better rest.By Jessica MigalaApril 8, 2022 MORE IN 8 Health Problems Linked to Not Getting Enough Sleep The Symptoms and Early Signs of Narcolepsy — and How to Spot Them What Is Sleep Apnea Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment and Prevention