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The Beauty of Sleeping

Getting beauty sleep carries different importance with different people. Certainly different people require different amounts of sleep, while others sleep according to preference rather than according to needs. When sleep deprivation occurs for a reason other than preference, a disorder may be present. When a person is unable to sleep as much as he would like to, he will become unhappy, less able to function and possibly even ill. Since sleep is so important, it is no wonder that people who do not sleep well seek help. There are a few common causes for sleep disorders.

Substance-Induced Sleep Disorder

Unnatural chemicals in the body can cause severe sleep disturbance. There are some substances that are meant to increase feelings of energy and decrease sleepiness. Caffeine and other (legal and illegal) stimulant drugs can prevent an individual from attaining a good night of sleep. A person that is under the influence of stimulants may feel exhausted but remain in a constant state of wakefulness because his or her body is unable to relax due to the effects of the drugs. Sedatives can also cause problems in the natural sleep cycles. If a person becomes reliant on drugs to relax, he or she may form a mild addiction to those drugs. Alcohol or sleep aids may be needed continually in order to achieve relaxation. In the absence of those drugs, sleep may become impossible. Sleep problems can also occur as a side effect from an unrelated drug. Substance-Induced Sleep Disorder is possibly the easiest to detect and correct, making a person able to return to normal sleeping and living.

General Medical Conditions and Sleep Disorder

Feeling ill makes it difficult for people to sleep. When a person feels sick, they don't sleep as well as when he or she is healthy. Coughing, frequent urination and even itching can be very annoying. If an illness becomes extended, the sleep disorder can become severe. Sleep apnea is a more severe health problem that causes incredible sleep disruption. A person suffering from sleep apnea is continually awakened because of breathing problems during the night. They will not fully awaken every time they stop breathing (every few minutes) but they will never feel rested during the day.

Mental Disorders and Sleep Disorder

A third common cause for sleep disorders is that another mental disorder is present. On the bright side, sleep problems may cause a person to seek help when he would not normally have done so for his other symptoms. Depression and manic depression are both disorders that will lead to severe disruption of a normal sleep cycle. Occasionally a person will be sleep-deprived, but more frequently, they will sleep too much without ever feeling rested. Again, daily functioning and productivity will be greatly affected. Schizophrenia and Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome are also conditions that frequently affect sleep quality and length.

All of the above-mentioned sleep disorders have causes and therefore are frequently treatable. By working with the cause for sleep loss, rather than the symptom of sleep loss, chances of success are high. Seeking help will be a road to returning to full and beautiful sleep.

Frances, Allen MD and First, Michael B. MD. Your Mental Health: A Layman's Guide to

the Psychiatrist's Bible. New York: Scribner, 1998.