Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Difficulty sleeping is a common problem that affects us all at one point or another. Having trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up feeling tired, and having challenges with your memory, decision-making, and irritability due to not getting good rest are all associated with sleep difficulties or even a sleep disorder. If the symptoms associated with your difficulty sleeping interfere with your quality of life and daily functioning, a healthcare provider can help you figure out what might be causing it and how it can be treated.
This article will provide an overview of sleep difficulties, common symptoms, causes, how to test for sleep disorders, and when to seek medical care.
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Symptoms of Difficulty Sleeping
Depending on the severity and cause, symptoms related to having trouble sleeping include:
Causes of Difficulty Sleeping
Anyone can have difficulty getting the sleep they need from time to time. However, those who regularly experience sleep difficulties or significant impacts on their daily functioning and quality of life may have a sleep disorder.
In the United States, about 70 million people live with a sleep disorder.Common sleep disorders include:
Sleep difficulties arise from these types of causes because the disorders disrupt your body’s sleep/wake cycle, which is also known as the circadian rhythm.
What Is the Circadian Rhythm?Circadian rhythms are the body’s natural processes for changes that occur physically, mentally, and behaviorally. These rhythms respond to exposure to light and darkness. For example, you are more likely to feel tired when you are exposed to darkness and more awake when you’re exposed to light.Your genes and cues from your environment can impact your body’s circadian rhythm. Factors such as genetic mutations that change the way it functions, exposure to light when we typically don’t have it (such as light emitted from mobile phones at night), and changes to the timing of when you’re awake or asleep (like when you experience jet lag or work the night shift) can all alter your circadian rhythm.
What Is the Circadian Rhythm?
Circadian rhythms are the body’s natural processes for changes that occur physically, mentally, and behaviorally. These rhythms respond to exposure to light and darkness. For example, you are more likely to feel tired when you are exposed to darkness and more awake when you’re exposed to light.Your genes and cues from your environment can impact your body’s circadian rhythm. Factors such as genetic mutations that change the way it functions, exposure to light when we typically don’t have it (such as light emitted from mobile phones at night), and changes to the timing of when you’re awake or asleep (like when you experience jet lag or work the night shift) can all alter your circadian rhythm.
Circadian rhythms are the body’s natural processes for changes that occur physically, mentally, and behaviorally. These rhythms respond to exposure to light and darkness. For example, you are more likely to feel tired when you are exposed to darkness and more awake when you’re exposed to light.
Your genes and cues from your environment can impact your body’s circadian rhythm. Factors such as genetic mutations that change the way it functions, exposure to light when we typically don’t have it (such as light emitted from mobile phones at night), and changes to the timing of when you’re awake or asleep (like when you experience jet lag or work the night shift) can all alter your circadian rhythm.
There are physical, psychological, and environmental causes for various sleep disorders, ranging from work schedules, genetics, older age, and even some medications.
What Medications Can Cause Difficulty Sleeping?
In addition to other causes, several medications can impact sleep quality and your ability to get enough sleep. Some types of medications that can cause sleep problems include:
How to Treat Sleep Difficulties
For occasional or mild sleep difficulties, there are a number of healthysleep hygiene practicesyou can establish to get your sleep/wake cycle back on track. These include:
If you continue to experience sleep difficulties, or your symptoms are severely impacting your daily functioning, a healthcare provider can help you treat the symptoms. Treatment will vary depending on the specific cause, which can include medicine, counseling, and the use of devices such as acontinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
Your provider will likely give you a physical exam and ask about any medications or other medical conditions you have that could be contributing to your symptoms. If an undiagnosed condition or issue is suspected, you may also undergo tests to rule those out. If your provider suspects you may have a sleep disorder, they may refer you to a sleep specialist for further testing.
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Sleep Difficulties?
There are several tests that can help determine the root cause of sleep difficulties and disorders. A healthcare provider may want to test you for any underlying conditions, particularly chronic issues such as heartburn, diabetes, thyroid problems, depression, anxiety, and arthritis.Keeping a sleep diary in which you take notes on your sleep patterns for a period of a few weeks can help further inform what may be causing your difficulties.
Totest for sleep disorders, there are a number of options that are typically available in a clinical sleep center setting:
You may be able to conduct some studies and tests for assessing possible sleep disorders at home, where you often can get a better night’s sleep than in a clinical setting. Your sleep specialist will give you certain devices to use while you sleep to take the necessary measurements.
If you have a poor quality of life because of sleep difficulties, speaking with a healthcare provider can help you investigate and treat what may be the cause of:
Summary
Speaking with a healthcare provider can help you investigate the cause and appropriate treatment for sleep difficulty symptoms. If a sleep disorder is suspected, you may get a referral to a sleep specialist and further testing in a sleep center. Treatment can range from adopting healthy sleep hygiene habits to certain medications, counseling, or devices to help you breathe at night.
A Word From Verywell
Sleep is critical to your overall well-being and daily functioning. It’s not just about the ability to get to sleep and stay asleep; the quality of your sleep matters as well. Not addressing chronic sleep difficulties can lead to other health issues. Reaching out to a healthcare provider can help you work towards getting high-quality sleep and reduce the risk for longer-term health issues.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThere are many potential causes for having difficulty sleeping. Certain health conditions, medications, shift work, age, and even genetics can contribute to having difficulty sleeping. Some people experience sleep difficulties occasionally. Others regularly have trouble getting to sleep or getting good quality sleep.It may depend on the severity of your sleep difficulties. If you experience mild symptoms, you may try to adopt somesleep hygiene habitslike waking up and going to bed at the same time and optimizing your sleep environment, among others.If your symptoms are severe, speaking with a healthcare provider can help you identify and treat the root cause of your sleep difficulties.Though there are different types and causes, insomnia is generally described as a sleep disorder in which you regularly have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. It often results in not feeling rested when you wake up due to not getting enough quality sleep.Learn MoreInsomnia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
There are many potential causes for having difficulty sleeping. Certain health conditions, medications, shift work, age, and even genetics can contribute to having difficulty sleeping. Some people experience sleep difficulties occasionally. Others regularly have trouble getting to sleep or getting good quality sleep.
It may depend on the severity of your sleep difficulties. If you experience mild symptoms, you may try to adopt somesleep hygiene habitslike waking up and going to bed at the same time and optimizing your sleep environment, among others.If your symptoms are severe, speaking with a healthcare provider can help you identify and treat the root cause of your sleep difficulties.
Though there are different types and causes, insomnia is generally described as a sleep disorder in which you regularly have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. It often results in not feeling rested when you wake up due to not getting enough quality sleep.Learn MoreInsomnia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Though there are different types and causes, insomnia is generally described as a sleep disorder in which you regularly have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. It often results in not feeling rested when you wake up due to not getting enough quality sleep.
Learn MoreInsomnia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.HelpGuide.org.Medical causes of sleep problems.Sleep Foundation.How does blue light affect sleep?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sleep tests and treatments.MedlinePlus.Insomnia.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.HelpGuide.org.Medical causes of sleep problems.Sleep Foundation.How does blue light affect sleep?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sleep tests and treatments.MedlinePlus.Insomnia.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.HelpGuide.org.Medical causes of sleep problems.Sleep Foundation.How does blue light affect sleep?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sleep tests and treatments.MedlinePlus.Insomnia.
MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.
HelpGuide.org.Medical causes of sleep problems.
Sleep Foundation.How does blue light affect sleep?
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sleep tests and treatments.
MedlinePlus.Insomnia.
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