Sleep deprivation in America has become a bigger problem than most will admit. It is estimated that between fifty and eighty million people are suffering from sleep deprivation at this moment and that
most people will experience sleep deprivation sometime in their lives. Of course there are many reasons and at varying levels that people will be affected. but do you know the difference between sleep deprivation and a sleep disorder? One is a result of and the other is the reason for.
In other words you could have insomnia, which is a sleep disorder, and suffer sleep deprivation, which is the result. The reason I make this distinction is because too many people believe that they are suffering from a sleep disorder when they start missing sleep but when you carefully diagnose the problem, it might not be a disorder.
A simple example is: a dog is barking outside your window at night keeping you awake. After a few nights of this, you are experiencing sleep deprivation. Stop the dog from barking and you solve your problem. Unlike a sleep disorder, which could result from a psychological or physical issue in your life, sleep deprivation is the result.
Unfortunately a major problem today is too many people go undiagnosed and will not get the necessary treatment for their problem. So it is important to recognize what is causing you to have sleep deprivation in order to seek the correct treatment. Sleep deprivation can turn into a disorder, like insomnia, if you don’t get help. It can start as a mild case where you lose sleep for a few nights to a severe case where you are losing sleep for weeks or even months. So it is imperative that you examine what’s going on in your life to seek the cause.
Are you going through a stressful time and are doing a lot of worrying? Most people who are experiencing a stressful time in their life lose sleep because they lie awake all night thinking of their problems and their minds become their worst enemy.
Could it be something deeper that you can’t easily recognize? You should always seek a doctor’s help for both identifying your issue and remedies to take care of it. Sometimes it’s as easy as taking some sleep medication for a short period of time to get you back into a natural sleep cycle. The main point is to identify the underlying cause and then seek alternatives that can help.
Remember there are dozens of sleep disorders out there such as insomnia, apnea, night sweats, and so much more. The key is to identify the underlying cause and recognize that if you are loosing sleep over an extended period of time, you are suffering from more than just sleep deprivation, you are suffering from a sleep disorder. Seek medical help in determining just what it is and you can acquire the proper treatment.
Lewis Malburne
http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/are-you-suffering-from-a-sleep-disorder-or-sleep-deprivation-704981.html
If suffering from a sleep disorder/deprivation for around a year, will a return to normal sleep ensure a full?
recovery, or has permanent brain damage taken place?
I wouldn’t say permanat brain damage but I had a sleep study done on me for the same reason and the kinds of disease we have is very difficult and can be treated and your life can be filled again. I had sleep problems for years till I was finally sent to get tested for my sleep and I have absolutely (according to the neurologist) the worst results he had ever seen. I have absolutely no REM sleep so I don’t dream so I got put on double the FDA limit if sleep medication for my sleep disorder. My sleep was so bad that I was ever going to be prescibed GHB which is date rape drug for me to sleep. Thank God I really mean Thank God He interviened and just as I was being prescribed the drug and I was so desperate for sleep that I wanted it, God stepped in at that moment and the Dr. looked at all my meds and my medications mixed w/ GHB real name is call Xyrem was lethal so he couldn’t give it to me.
Anyway just telling you that I take medications that are double FDA and my insurance covers it because of my disorder and I have the sleep study to prove it, I now sleep. I still have insomnia sometimes I’m awake 72 hours before I sleep but I sleep now and I am very thankful. You’ll be fine if they can get you something for sleep but first you need a sleep study done.
Be well, I totally undestand this disease better than anyone I know. My husband understands it as well and it’s a serious illness to have, true insomniacs really have to struggle cause when you don’t sleep you don’t function well and I wasted a lot of years because I didn’t have sleep. I am thankful that it is very difficult to this day but it;s not like years past. You can be well again, have hope and have a good Dr. You’ll be fine again and you’ll feel brand new. No brain damage.
I have 8 typo’s spell check isn’t working sorry.
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