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What’s keeping

you up?

Slumbering. Snoozing.

Sawing

logs. No matter what it’s called, a good

night’s sleep never becomes tiresome.

Unfortunately, millions of people aren’t

getting the seven to nine hours of ZZZs

every adult needs—every night—to support

good health. Angela Dansby, RPSGT, direc-

tor of the Jackson Sleep Disorders Center,

warns, “Don’t ignore your symptoms! It is

estimated that 85 percent of people with a

sleep disorder remain undiagnosed.”

If you’re among those sleepyheads,

perhaps it’s one of these common sleep

disorders that’s keeping you up:

Hey there,

sleepyhead

DISORDER SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

POSSIBLE TREATMENTS

Insomnia

• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night

• Waking up too early

• Sleeping for only short periods of time

• Difficulty focusing during the day

• Sleep medications

• Lifestyle changes, such as exercising more and

avoiding alcohol, caffeine and tobacco

• Better sleep habits, such as going to bed at the

same time every night and getting up at the same

time every morning

• Therapy to relieve sleep anxiety

Narcolepsy

• Sudden sleep attacks during the day—even

when doing something active, like walking

• Extreme or irresistible daytime sleepiness

• Sudden muscle weakness when awake (called

cataplexy), often triggered by a strong emotion

• Hallucinations

• Stimulant medicines to increase daytime alertness

• Medicine to promote sleep at night

• Medicines that treat depression—which can

help with muscle weakness, sleep paralysis and

hallucinations

• Lifestyle changes, such as taking naps, following a

regular sleep schedule and relaxing before bedtime

Restless legs

syndrome

(RLS)

Creeping sensations in the legs that create an

urge to move them (walking or kicking offers

some relief)

A combination of two medicines—one to regulate

dopamine levels and one to promote sleep

Sleep apnea • Frequent pauses in breathing while sleeping

• Nighttime gasping or snoring

• Morning headaches

• Irritability or depression

• Dry mouth upon waking

• Treatment of underlying conditions, such as a

nasal condition or heart failure

• Breathing devices worn while sleeping, such as a

continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine

• Surgery

• Weight loss

• Mouth piece

If you think you have a sleep disorder, ask your doctor for help finding

your way back to dreamland.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

The Jackson

Sleep Disorders

Center can help you

stop counting sheep

and get some sleep.

For information, call

334-293-8168

SLEEP