Why Many Adults Aren't Getting Enough Sleep

By Patrick Miller

Experts are finding that even people who exercise regularly, stay away from cigarettes and avoid heavy 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 aspects of healthy living that most adults, and many adolescents, often ignore. It's been estimated that nearly 65 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep disorder.

Sleep problems are not confined to one small segment of the population. All over the planet sleep issues are on the rise do to increased anxiety levels associated with modern life, increased caffeine consumption and a continued dependence on technology which goes against our natural sleep cycle. Here are some of the more common sleep conditions seen in most people today:

Obstructive or Central Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea can be categorized as obstructive, which means soft tissues in the back of the throat collapse slightly while a person is sleeping, temporarily obstructing the airway and disturbing sleep. Central sleep apnea occurs when a person's brain actually "forgets" to tell the lungs to continue breathing during sleep. This sleep condition actually causes a person to stop breathing momentarily 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.

Bed Wetting: Adult bed wetting affects 1-2% of the total population, though those numbers are believed to be under reported. Adult bed wetting occurs when a mature person or adolescent does not wake to eliminate urinate during the night time sleep period. This can cause sufferers to fear going to sleep, increase stress about sleeping and ultimately disrupt sleep patterns which can sometimes make the condition worse.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): This sleep disorder causes a person to feel a creeping, pins and needles 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 feel the urge to get up and walk around to make the feelings to go away. These feelings prevent sleep and can be more than just bothersome if they occur every night.

Getting the correct amount of sleep is very important to your overall well-being and can dramatically improve your quality of living. All of these sleep maladies are treatable and some are preventable. You may need to speak with your primary care physician if you suffer from any of these conditions yourself. - 30246

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