How Do You Manage a Sleeping Disorder?

Updated on September 27, 2021

Sleep plays an incredibly important role in our overall well-being. Getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night will help you feel rested and rejuvenated when you wake up. 

Unfortunately, people with sleeping disorders can’t get the appropriate amount of restorative sleep they need to live optimally. 

Insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea are only a couple of examples of sleeping disorders people may suffer from. These disorders can affect a person’s relationships, safety, school, and work performance. 

It may also influence thinking, weight gain, and mental health, as well as increase the risk of developing other medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. 

To help you get better sleep at night, we’ve made a list of 5 effective ways you can manage a sleeping disorder. 

Here’s a quick summary: 

  • Seek professional assistance
  • Carefully take medications and/or supplements
  • Schedule regular exercise
  • Minimize light and noise in the bedroom
  • Find better ways to reduce stress

Let’s discuss these factors in detail. 

Seek professional assistance

If you suspect that you have an undiagnosed sleeping disorder, the best way to get a proper diagnosis is to seek help from a licensed professional. Your primary care physician should be the first person you consult about your sleeping problems. 

Once they go over your symptoms, they can offer you simple solutions and strategies to help you sleep better. For instance, they may recommend you to use a CPAP machine when you go to sleep. 

CPAP machines are the most commonly prescribed solutions to treating sleep apnea disorders. This device sends a steady flow of oxygen into your nose and mouth while you sleep, keeping your airways open and your lungs breathing normally. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you’re currently using a Philips CPAP machine, review if it’s one of the models included in the Philips CPAP recall lawsuit case. These machines have been found to cause potential health risks of particulate exposure due to a defect in the device’s construction.

Report back to your physician if their prescribed treatments don’t seem to be working. This way, your physician can refer you to a sleeping specialist for more technical assistance. 

Sleeping specialists can be found in almost every city in the world. 

Carefully take medications and supplements

A sleep specialist or a primary care physician might prescribe you medications and supplements to help you get better sleep at night. However, the tendency is some people will develop a dependency on these medications. 

This could very well be a start of an unhealthy addiction.

When taking medications, make sure to strictly follow the guidelines set by your doctor to avoid harmful side effects and possible addictions. 

Furthermore, some medications might cause patients to experience adverse side effects. 

Make sure to discuss allergies and possible medication interactions (if you’re taking other medications along with your sleep medications) with your doctor. 

Additionally, consult with an experienced product liability firm like Schmidt & Clark to find out the best course of action in the event that you fall victim to a drug’s or medical device’s faulty design. 

Schedule regular exercise

Moderate-to-vigorous exercise routines can help increase sleep quality for adults. This is because regular exercise can decrease “sleep onset” (or the time it takes for a person to fall asleep) and reduce the amount of time you have to lie awake in bed. 

Keep in mind, however, that exercising immediately before bed can have a stimulating effect on the body and should be avoided. 

Try to finish your exercise routines three to four hours before going to bed. 

Minimize light and noise in the bedroom

Darkness and silence are essential to sleep. The absence of light sends critical signals to the body that it’s time to rest for the day.

Light exposure during the wrong times can alter the body’s “sleep clock” or “body clock” — the biological mechanism that naturally regulates the sleep-wake cycle. 

Make your sleeping quarters more sleep conducive. Leave all gadgets and appliances outside of the bedroom. Turn down or shut down all the lights and pull all the curtains in. All this will help make your bedroom more comfortable and help you sleep longer. 

Find better ways to reduce stress

Stress can significantly impact the quality of sleep you get each night. Finding ways to better manage your feelings of stress and frustration can help you get better quality shut-eye. 

There are several relaxation therapies and stress reduction methods you can try to help your mind and body relax before going to bed. 

A few examples are:

  • Deep breathing techniques
  • Medication
  • Progressive muscle relaxation
  • Biofeedback
  • Imagery

Ask your primary care physician about these techniques to find the best solution for your condition. 

The bottom line

Sleeping disorders can easily disrupt a person’s quality of life and relationships. The best way to fight back is to find effective and proactive ways to manage your sleeping disorders. 

The five tips we mentioned today should help you find easier and more restful sleep. 

If your symptoms get worse, contact your primary care physician to discuss better, more specific treatments for your symptoms. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.