Health Problems That Can Affect Your Sleep

By Author: Steven Johnson
Total Articles: 494
Comment this article

Sleep disorders don't just spring up without any reason. The most common causes for troubled sleep are different health conditions and medication side effects. The most common types of health problems that influence sleep issues are heart, neurological, mental, kidney, stomach and joint disorders.

1. Cardiovascular conditions

A wide range of heart problems can significantly reduce the quality of your sleep. The coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure are known to cause sleep apnea, and subsequently lead to fragmentation of sleep in the night time.

2. Endocrine problems

Thyroid problems and diabetes are the most common endocrine disorders that are known to influence sleep issues. Both these conditions affect the energy circulation in the body and can cause sleep fragmentation and restless leg syndrome if untreated. By controlling these conditions you may expect significant improvements in the quality of sleep as well.

3. Neurological problems

A large set of neurological conditions can influence the development of sleep disorders. Health issues such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's ...
... disease, strokes, and epilepsy are known to cause serious sleep disorders including insomnia and sleep fragmentation. Neurological conditions are known to influence the duration of the REM phase during sleep, affecting it in a negative way, which makes it very hard to get proper rest.

4. Respiratory issues

Patients with breathing problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma are frequently reporting having problems with sleep. These conditions often lead to insomnia, sleep fragmentation and sleep apnea.

5. Mental problems

Sleep disorders are often associated with a wide range of mental problems such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. The most common types of sleep problems that mental patients experience are insomnia and sleep fragmentation.

6. GERD

The gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, is known to cause sleep fragmentation. This happens because the contents of the stomach reflux to the esophagus during the night and cause damage to the sensitive tissue, accompanied by sleep disturbance.

7. Kidney problems

Most kidney disorders are characterized by the decreased ability to filter bad substances from the blood and imbalanced levels of salts and water in the body. This often leads to the development of insomnia and restless leg syndrome.

8. Arthritis

Arthritis is often associated with intense chronic pain and often leads to insomnia

When dealing with any of these health problems, you should first address them and deal with the consequences after. It may be better to keep your sugar levels under control if you have diabetes rather than using Ambien and letting the actual cause develop even further. Of course, sometimes the use of sleep aids such as Ambien is a must, because the effects are unbearable and medications are really needed. However in most cases, by improving the health problem at the root of sleep disorders patients report an increase in quality of their sleep.

If you experience any symptoms of sleep disorders it is best to consult with your doctor regarding the issue. Only a physician or professional pharmacist can prescribe you with the right treatment in order to avoid possible drug interactions or condition aggravation.