14 sleep disorders that may be keeping you awake

Struggling to sleep but not sure why? Check the below list of common sleeping disorders to help discover what could affect your ability to get good quality sleep.

1. Bedwetting

More common in children under the age of 4, bedwetting typically happens less and less as the child grows older.

2. Central Sleep Apnoea

People with central sleep apnoea experience regular breathing disruptions as they sleep. This is due to the brain not sending signals to the muscles that control breathing.

3. Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

Circadian rhythms regulate our body’s sleeping and waking patterns. Irregularities to these rhythms can make people fall asleep and wake up at inconvenient times.

4. Hypersomnia

This term means excessive sleepiness. Similar to narcolepsy, those with the condition typically fall asleep at any time and having trouble staying awake during the day.

5. Insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep. Although a lot of people suffer from occasional episodes, persistent insomnia can affect many others for months or years.

6. Narcolepsy

This rare brain disorder affects the control of sleep causing a person to fall asleep involuntarily. Symptoms include sleep paralysis, hallucinations and excessive sleepiness.

7. Nightmares

Nightmares are upsetting dreams that can immediately wake the sleeper. Most common in children, they can be caused by a wide range factors including traumatic events and medications.

8. Night Terrors

Usually affecting children between three and eight years’ old, night terrors often cause the sleeper to wake up shouting in panic.

9. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Also known as OSA, this condition can cause pauses in normal breathing leading to regularly disrupted sleep. The walls of the throat narrow, blocking the airway and can reoccur several times throughout the night.

10. Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)

Occurring only during sleep, this disorder causes repetitive cramping or rhythmic movement of the legs.

11. Shift Work Sleep Disorder

Affecting shift workers and people who work at night, this condition is characterised by difficulty staying awake or alert when you are supposed to be working.

12. Sleep Paralysis

Usually happening when waking up, people with sleep paralysis are unable to move or speak for a few seconds or minutes before returning to normal.

13. Sleepwalking

From walking around to performing activities like driving, sleepwalking involves carrying out complex behaviours while asleep.

14. Teeth Grinding

Medically called Bruxism, teeth grinding can occur subconsciously during sleep. Over time this can cause tooth damage, jaw pain and headaches.