Whoever you are and wherever you work and live, you might hear a lot from those around you about the popular issue of sleep deficits: many of us don’t get a good night of sleep as often as we should.  Sleep deprivation can come from a lot of sources – some of us are overworked, some going through life changes, and some subject to not-so-stable sleep schedules.  But for over 40 million Americans, it’s a diagnosable sleep disorder that’s to blame.  Sleep disorders can be a primary medical diagnosis or a secondary one (the result of some other condition) or just a partial cause of a sleep problem exacerbated by other negative habits or circumstances.

In any case, a wide range of sleep disorders threaten to rob many of us of our Zs.  Chronic sleep problems (lasting over 3 weeks) are generally issues we need to deal with, that do not go away on their own.  Some are caused by stress, some by jet lag or other schedule changes, and some by life changes or medical conditions.

Lots of these chronic sleep problem, including issues like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome, arise later in life: for many, short term sleep issues pop up after 18 and chronic ones after 30, with some of the conditions affecting woman at a higher rate than men, due partly to hormonal issues around maternity.

So what are the symptoms of these conditions?  Those suffering from a sleep disorder-induced state may experience a lethargic feeling, irritability, dizziness or light-headedness, feeling “crabby” or “grumpy”, or general fatigue.  There’s another symptom that often goes along with these disorders: weight gain.  There are a lot of reasons for this: sleep-affected people may not be as prone to taking initiative on exercise or may get careless with diet.  Also, the body may take cues from the sleep-deprived state and partially shut down or decrease the metabolic rate.

It can be really tough to stay fit and proactive about diet and exercise when suffering from a sleep condition, but with a little “work/rest balance”, you may find a fitness routine to be a very effective part of healing a sleep problem.  

Major steps in dealing with your condition include seeing a doctor, who can advise on what may causing your sleep issues and how to treat them yourself.  It also helps to keep records of when your sleep condition “flares up”.  

In addition, it may help to practice a little light exercise.  Exercising even in just small to moderate amounts can help a body respond and combat fatigue.  Schedule stability is very important in these situations, so work in exercise at the right times of the day, and follow up with an attempt at a stable, predictable sleep schedule, avoiding napping whenever possible, as naps often just disrupt the sleep cycle further.

The first step in is evaluating your sleep condition.  Take a look at when the problem seems worst and what conditions, such as stress, may be bringing on insomnia or other disturbed sleep, and then proceed to find solutions for healing any condition that is part of this epidemic: with an eye toward effective treatment, you’ll be on your way to conquering sleep disorders.