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What types of things will stop us getting a restful night?

For some people with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, sleep can be a real problem. Cerebra, a charity which advocates for children with brain conditions, has a sleep advice service – which you can find here: Sleep Advice Service - Cerebra

The same can be said for those people who suffer from mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.

In these cases, a lack of sleep can create a vicious cycle where depression deepens and sleep becomes more erratic so finding a way of resting properly is vital. We’ll look at how in a later chapter.

One of the most common, yet massively under-diagnosed issues affecting the nations’ sleep is Sleep Apnoea. It is a condition which stops you breathing while you’re asleep and wakes you up to start breathing again.

Sufferers never get a full night’s sleep and it can cause multiple health issues, as detailed in the Chapter “Lack of sleep and your health”. Sufferers wake up feeling unrefreshed, feel tired during the day and can even fall asleep while driving.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is the most common form of the condition and it occurs predominantly in people who are overweight. When the throat relaxes during sleep, the extra weight on the neck can close up a patient’s airways and stop them breathing – sometimes hundreds of times each night.

There are other physiological reasons why an airway might become narrow, such as enlarged tonsils or a set-back lower jaw. If the nose is partially blocked, this means the pressure drops and the walls of the throat collapse in and block the airway.

It is easily treated, usually by the use of a continuous positive air pressure, or CPAP machine. The device simply pumps air into your airways at high pressure and keeps them open so you can breath normally and stay asleep. It works in the vast majority of cases if used correctly.

Incredibly, researchers estimate up to 85% of sufferers remain undiagnosed. The reasons for this may vary but vanity (not wanting to wear a mask in bed) and fear of losing your driving licence (this is not true if you use a CPAP machine as directed) certainly play a part. The UK Government says OSA affects 5% of the population. Up to 1.5m drivers in the UK are believed to have untreated OSA and risk falling asleep at the wheel. Staggering isn’t it?

Loud snoring is an indication you may have sleep apnoea, along with unrefreshing sleep, frequent night-time urination, morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, poor memory, reduced alertness and increased clumsiness. You may be suffering from mood and personality changes and impaired relationships with spouses or partners.

If you think you or a loved one may have the condition, contact your GP for an initial assessment as soon as possible.

Aside from health conditions, there are other factors which stop us getting a restful night’s sleep.

According to the NHS’s guide to insomnia, the most common causes of sleep deprivation are:

  • Stress, anxiety or depression
  • Noise
  • A room which is too hot or cold
  • An uncomfortable bed
  • Alcohol, caffeine or nicotine
  • Recreational drugs like cocaine or ecstasy
  • Jet lag
  • Shift work

In the next chapter, we’ll look at the tell-tale signs of sleep deprivation.