The average person doesn’t wake up fully rested in the morning. Do they suffer from a sleeping disorder, need a new mattress or simply need some tips and techniques for to relax at home?
I’ll let you read more right here and hopefully you’ll learn how to tell if you have a sleeping disorder and the the mystery behind your lack of sleep will soon be solved!
Sleeping disorders vary in intensity and their causes are endless.
However, being able to recognize some signs of such disorders may just be the first step to take in your path to a better night sleep.
Read more about a particular sleeping disorder called sleep apnea here.
Common Sleeping Disorders
This list will give you an idea of the most common sleep disorders:
- Sleep Apnea (sometimes misspelled Sleep Apnia)
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Narcolepsy
- Sleep Walking
- And many more
How Do You Recognize These Sleep Disorders?
Diagnosing a sleeping disorder is not something that the average person has the capability and/or knowledge to do alone. Your family doctor or sleep specialist will help you with this task, but there are a few things that you can do at home to help. You can also click on the links above to read more on a specific sleep disorder.
A Sleep Diary Can Help You Discover Sleep Disorders
First, you need to record your sleep habits and any other activities that are related to your quantity and/or quality of sleep. The simplest way to achieve this is through a sleep diary. Make sure to include the following in your sleep diary:
- Day schedule. Briefly list the important timing for your day. For example:
- 6:30 a.m. Woke up
- 7:00 a.m. Showered and ate breakfast
- 7:30 a.m. Left for work
- 8:00 a.m. Started work
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch break.
- 1:00 p.m. Returned to work
- 5:00 p.m. Returned home
- 6:00 p.m. Dinner
- 8:00 p.m. Started watching TV
- 11:00 p.m. Went to bed
- 1:00 a.m. Last time I watched the clock before falling asleep.
- Food and Drink Intake. You do not need to list every single thing you ate and drank, but make sure to include all alcohol, caffeine and an adjective to show what kind of meal you had. For example:
- Breakfast: Toast and 2 cups of regular caffeinated coffee.
- Lunch: Light lunch with 1 cup of green tea.
- Dinner: Large serving of pasta with 2 glasses of red wine. 1 cup of decaf coffee after dinner.
- Evening snack: Chips and 2 beers while watching TV.
- Important Emotions. List any major upsetting emotions and related events. For example:
- Medical Information. List any medication taken and time at which it was taken.
- Any Other Information. If you believe that there are other factors that may affect your sleep, make sure to include them in your sleep diary.