1. Health

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Sleep Disorders

By , About.com Guide

For those who suffer from difficulties sleeping, it may seem like your health and well-being is unraveling before your very eyes. It is a challenge to sort out what symptoms mean, but a careful analysis and evaluation will lead you to the appropriate diagnosis. Once this is known, it is important to assess how your general health may be affected so that you will be committed to the proper treatment.
  1. Sleep Disorder Basics
  2. Causes of Sleep Disorders
  3. Getting a Diagnosis
  4. Sleep and Your Health

Sleep Disorder Basics

It is important to recognize that though the symptoms of sleep disorders may be similar -- including excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue -- the causes may be quite distinct. Discover the varying subtleties of sleep disorders and learn some of the basic symptoms for each.

Causes of Sleep Disorders

Aside from the numerous recognized causes of sleep disorders, many medical conditions often have sleep disruption as one of the possible symptoms. It may be possible to improve your sleep by recognizing and eliminating some of these potential causes.

Getting a Diagnosis

If you believe that you suffer from a sleep disorder, how should you go about getting a diagnosis? Educate yourself on how to find a sleep specialist or sleep center. Find out what testing should be done, and what options are available to you. Actively preparing yourself for the process will also help when the diagnosis becomes clear.

Sleep and Your Health

Many elements of our general health are profoundly, and sometimes unusually, dependent on how well we sleep at night. Poor sleep has many potential complications from gaining weight to worsening diabetes or high blood pressure to sudden death. Explore some of these potential relationships and understand how important a good night's sleep may actually be.

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.

We comply with the HONcode standard
for trustworthy health
information: verify here.