As we've mentioned, there can be numerous causes of interrupted sleep – from a sudden shift in routine, life events, unexpected noises, bedroom conditions, alcohol, caffeine, medications, or digital devices, as well as anxiety and depression, sleep apnea, insomnia.
Chronic pain from conditions such as arthritis or back problems as well as depression or anxiety can interfere with sleep. Issues that increase the need to urinate during the night — such as prostate or bladder problems — can disrupt sleep. Sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome become more common with age.
Long-term consequences of sleep disruption in otherwise healthy individuals include hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, weight-related issues, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and colorectal cancer. All-cause mortality is also increased in men with sleep disturbances.
Have you found that you fall asleep quickly at night, but then wake up multiple times? Typically these waking periods are short, but many times it's a struggle to get back to a restful deep sleep. If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing fragmented sleep (frequent awakenings during the normal sleep-wake cycle).
Medical conditions, including pregnancy, some intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), depression, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer, may disrupt natural or healthy sleep patterns.
Growing evidence has demonstrated that vitamin D has a role in sleep regulation [12]. Specifically, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can increase risk of sleep disorders and is associated with sleep difficulties, shorter sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings in children and adults [13,14,15].
People who regularly experience broken sleep are crankier, angrier, and more likely to be depressed than those who sleep through the night. In fact, a night of interrupted sleep is much worse for your mood than a shorter night's sleep.
From the common cold to lung disease, many health conditions can interrupt sleep. Anything from bad heartburn to an itchy rash could jolt you awake from even the deepest sleep. However, in some cases, waking up at night could be a symptom of a serious sleep disorder: Sleep apnea.
Sleep disturbances-particularly insomnia - are highly prevalent in anxiety disorders and complaints such as insomnia or nightmares have even been incorporated in some anxiety disorder definitions, such as generalized anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Benzodiazepine sedatives such as triazolam (Halcion), estazolam, lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Restoril), flurazepam, and quazepam (Doral) and non-benzodiazepine sedatives such as zolpidem (Ambien, Intermezzo), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and zaleplon (Sonata) are drugs that can help induce sleep.
Waking up in the middle of the night is called insomnia, and it's a common problem. Mid-sleep awakenings often occur during periods of stress. Over-the-counter sleep aids rarely offer significant or sustained help for this problem.
Signs of poor sleep quality include feeling sleepy or tired even after getting enough sleep, repeatedly waking up during the night, and having symptoms of a sleep disorder (such as snoring or gasping for air). Better sleep habits may improve the quality of your sleep.
Sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression.
Factors that influence your sleep-wake needs include medical conditions, medications, stress, sleep environment, and what you eat and drink. Perhaps the greatest influence is the exposure to light.
Kleine–Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia and to various degrees, behavioral or cognitive disturbances, compulsive eating behavior, and hypersexuality. [1] The disease predominantly affects adolescent males.
One study. View Source of older adults with insomnia found that magnesium supplementation at a dose of 500 milligrams daily for eight weeks helped them fall asleep fast, stay asleep longer, reduced nighttime awakenings, and increased their levels of naturally circulating melatonin.
Supplementing vitamin B6 may improve sleep quality and duration. A 2019 study also found that taking a supplement of magnesium, melatonin, and vitamin B complex for 3 months improved sleep and helped treat insomnia. Read more about B vitamins.