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Remember the days when your head barely hit the pillow before you were out like a light?
If you’re like most people, a busy lifestyle, time pressures, and adulting in general seem to get in the way of such simple pleasures.
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Research suggests that up to 45% of Australian adults are affected by insomnia, poor-quality sleep, or insufficient sleep.
With many GPs at Doctors of South Melbourne interested in sleep disorders, they can help you get the shut-eye you need.
Proper sleep is one of the best ways to improve your mental and physical well-being.
Consistently getting quality sleep has many health benefits, including:
- Reducing stress
- Improving memory
- Allowing you to make better decisions
- Limiting your risk of heart disease
- Improving your immune system
Unsurprisingly, being in sleep debt has the opposite effect on your mind and body.
In this post, we’ll look at four common sleeping disorders, offer insights into tackling each and suggest ways your doctor can help.
Insomnia
People with insomnia have trouble nodding off at bedtime. Insomniacs can also find it hard to get back to sleep upon waking throughout the night.
Insomnia is one of the most common reasons people seek help from their GP. Older people, women, and shift workers tend to be particularly prone to the condition.
Insomnia can lead to all sorts of problems during the day. These include symptoms such as irritability, poor concentration, and memory problems.
A lack of quality sleep can also affect your physical and mental health.
Poor sleep is linked to increased risks of serious health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, and anxiety.
How to Get to Sleep and Stay Asleep
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for combatting insomnia. For this reason, your GP will take the time to review your medical history and work with you to find a solution.
It’s essential to treat any underlying causes of insomnia, such as chronic pain or mental health issues, as part of managing the condition.
If underlying causes aren’t properly treated, you can find yourself trapped in a vicious cycle where insomnia worsens your underlying symptoms, which then worsens your insomnia. Aargh!
Before seeing a GP, you may want to consider practising some basic sleep hygiene measures (outlined below) that can help with insomnia.
When Should You Seek Help for Insomnia?
Talk to your GP if insomnia impacts your happiness or ability to function properly throughout the day.
They’ll work with you to look at possible causes and treatment options. They may refer you to a sleep specialist, physiologist or psychologist.
Some hospitals have sleep clinics where more intensive observation, diagnosis, and treatment occur.
Many patients ask about medications to help with sleep. Though sleeping tablets and the like can be effective, certain medications have risks and potential side effects.
Your GP may discuss medication options with you, but only as a small and temporary part of your overall treatment plan.
Snoring
Snoring is quite common, especially among men and middle-aged people. Doctors estimate that 40% of men and 25% of women snore to some degree.
We often presume snoring goes hand-in-hand with a good night’s sleep. However, studies have shown that up to 70% of frequent loud snorers suffer from tiredness and lethargy throughout the day.
Snoring is sometimes made worse by:
- Being overweight or obese
- Consuming alcohol before bed
- Smoking
- Sleeping on your back
- Having a blocked nose
- Being pregnant
Is Snoring Dangerous?
Current evidence suggests that the primary risk with snoring is when it’s a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea.
Snoring by itself doesn’t appear to have many direct health consequences, though some studies suggest an association with artery damage due to vibrations.
However, persistent loud snoring can result in poor-quality sleep, which can affect concentration on the road and at work.
Snoring can also indirectly harm your family if they’re regularly kept awake.
When Should You Seek Help for Snoring?
It’s a good idea to visit your GP when experiencing any of the following:
- You’re continually waking unrefreshed in the morning.
- You’re experiencing chronic daytime drowsiness.
- Your partner or family are disturbed most nights.
- You temporarily stop breathing during sleep.
There are several snoring treatments available. These range from treating underlying causes, such as obesity or allergies, to using oral appliances and limiting alcohol at night.
For more severe cases of snoring, your GP may consider referring you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon.
Sleep Apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) occurs when breathing repeatedly stops for short periods while asleep.
With OSA, normal airflow through the upper airways is reduced during sleep. Factors contributing to reduced airflow include narrowing of the pharynx due to surrounding soft tissues and relaxation of these tissues during sleep.
The condition is quite serious and can affect people of every age. It’s more commonly diagnosed in men as well as:
- 50+ year olds
- Smokers and excessive drinkers
- People who are overweight
Loud snoring, tossing and turning, and gasping for air are common symptoms. OSA patients often have disturbed sleep and wake up feeling tired and unrefreshed.
OSA is associated with an increased risk of many health issues. These include motor vehicle accidents, mental health disorders, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart attacks, and liver disease.
How Do Doctors Treat Sleep Apnoea?
Treatment depends on the severity of OSA. Doctors typically refer patients to an overnight sleep study in Melbourne.
Also known as a polysomnogram (PSG), the study measures airflow, blood oxygen content, and sleep behaviour.
For mild cases, GPs commonly recommend weight loss, changing your sleeping position, and improving lifestyle choices concerning drinking and smoking.
An oral appliance called a mandibular advancement device (MAD) can also effectively treat OSA. A MAD is custom-fitted by a dentist, and it works by pushing your jaw forward to help keep your airways open.
More severe or advanced cases may require continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. CPAP therapy involves sleeping while wearing a mask that helps keep the upper airways open by increasing the pressure of the air delivered through them.
In some instances, surgery may be an option. Your GP will help you decide what’s best.
When Should You Seek Help for Sleep Apnoea?
People with OSA are often unaware they have it, and their partners usually alert them to something being wrong.
If this is the case in your household, make an appointment to see your GP.
Please do the same if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:
- Waking overnight gasping or choking
- Waking with a very sore throat
- Persistent, unexplained tiredness
- Regular headaches in the morning
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a relatively common neurological sleep disorder characterised by uncontrollable urges to move your legs.
This sensation makes it hard to fall asleep and sometimes to stay asleep.
RLS sufferers frequently describe experiencing a tingling or burning sensation in their legs when they’re still. The condition can also affect people when they’re awake, such as during travel or sitting still at work.
Moving around almost always relieves symptoms.
RLS is more common in women and people over 45 years old. In children, it can be misdiagnosed as growing pains.
Doctors also believe that RLS runs in families.
What Causes RLS?
Doctors don’t know the exact cause of this frustrating disorder. The central and peripheral nervous systems are involved, but the precise cause isn’t well understood.
Certain factors are thought to make symptoms worse, such as:
- Pregnancy
- Iron deficiency
- Kidney disease
- Neuropathy – such as that caused by diabetes
- Certain medications – including antihistamine, anti-nausea, and antidepressant tablets
When Should You Seek Help for Restless Leg Syndrome?
It’s a good idea to talk with your GP if you suspect RLS is at play. This is especially the case if you’re losing sleep or feeling unusually moody, tired and sleep-deprived throughout your day.
Though RLS may not wake you at night, you might get a bad night’s sleep due to unconscious leg movement.
Depending on a variety of factors, your GP can offer treatment that may include:
- Iron infusions or supplements
- Dopamine agonists – also used to treat Parkinson’s disease
- Anti-seizure medications
It’s a good idea to make lifestyle changes before going down the path of prescribed medicines
Getting regular exercise, avoiding nicotine and alcohol, and stress reduction techniques are a great start.
You may have heard of the alternative treatment of slipping a bar of soap under the covers before you hop into bed. Please don’t try this – it’s a waste of perfectly good soap and could ruin your sheets.
Tips to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Good sleep hygiene means practising and maintaining effective sleeping habits consistently.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, try these suggestions:
- Go to bed and get up around the same time every day.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol at least six hours before you go to bed.
- Use your bed for sleeping – not for working or watching TV.
- Avoid exercising at least four hours before bed.
- Try to make your bedroom as dark and quiet as possible.
A Word on Exercise
As any regular patients will tell you, the GPs at the clinic prescribe exercise for pretty much everything – having trouble sleeping is no exception.
Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. However, some people find that exercising late in the day affects their ability to fall asleep.
If this is the case for you, try to exercise earlier in the day – any exercise is better than none.
For more tips on good sleeping practices, have a look at this fact sheet from Headspace.
Most GPs at Doctors of South Melbourne have years of experience treating sleeping disorders.
If in need, you can make an appointment online or call us on (03) 8579 6838.
HI,
I have severe insomnia that I’ve suffered for over 10 years. Could someone suggest a good doctor please?
Hi Therese,
Dr James Redwood is an excellent GP with experience treating sleeping disorders. You can make an appointment with James by calling us on 8579 6838 or clicking the BOOK ONLINE button at the top of this page.
Kind regards,
Doctors of South Melbourne