3 Common Sleep Problems Among Adults

Experts are finding that even people who exercise often, stay away from cigarettes and avoid excessive drinking often only get a small amount of the sleep their bodies really desire to thrive. Getting enough sleep is one of the most important parts of healthy living that most adults, and many adolescents, often neglect. It's been estimated that nearly 68 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep condition.

Sometimes health problems such as excessive weight, over indulging on alcohol or food or simply living a stressful lifestyle can lead to sleep issues. Many people have a hard time falling asleep for any number of reasons. Here are some of the more severe sleep conditions seen in many people today:

Obstructive or Central Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea can be classified as obstructive, which means soft tissues in the rear of the throat collapse slightly while a person is sleeping, momentarily blocking the airway and interrupting sleep. Central sleep apnea occurs when a person's brain actually "forgets" to tell the body to keep breathing during the night. This sleep condition actually causes a person to stop breathing shortly while the person is sleeping. Both types of apnea disturb sleep patterns and though they may not entirely wake a person up, they do disrupt the deep level a sleep a person needs.

Adult Bed Wetting: This sleep disorder occurs when a mature person or adolescent does not wake to urinate during the night time sleep period. Bed wetting as an adult is a condition which is estimated to affect over 7 million people, though those numbers are believed to be under reported. This may cause sufferers to fear going to sleep, increase anxiety about sleeping and ultimately disrupt relationships which can sometimes make the condition worse.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): This sleep disorder causes a person to experience a crawling, tingling or even pulling sensation in the leg when they lay down to go to sleep or sit for long periods of time at night. The muscles of the leg can cramp and the person may experience the need to get up and walk around to make the feelings to dissipate. These feelings prevent sleep and can be more than just annoying if they occur every evening.

Getting the right amount of sleep is critically important to your overall health and can greatly improve your quality of life. All of these sleep conditions can be treated and some are preventable. You may need to speak with your doctor if you suffer from any of these conditions yourself.

Need to learn more about how you can get more sleep at night? Try some of these tips for falling asleep that can help you look your best the next morning!