Why You Should See a Doctor If You Have Trouble Sleeping

If you have ever found yourself trying to face a long day when you haven't gotten enough sleep, you know well just how important sleep is to every person. There are times, though, when sleep just doesn't come, no matter how hard you try. While there are certain environmental factors that you can change to help improve your sleep, your sleep issues may have an underlying physical cause. If this is the case, you will need to see your doctor help address problems before they cause serious long-term health issues. Here are a few reasons you'll definitely want to involve a doctor when you're not quite getting your full eight hours of sleep. They Can Separate Fact From Fiction

One important reason to see a doctor when you're having trouble sleeping is that they can help you separate fact from fiction. In other words, they can either confirm that your sleep problems are due to some type of treatable condition, or they can rule out treatable conditions so that you can focus on improving your sleeping environment.

Failing to get confirmation from a doctor, either way, can leave you chasing various sleep remedies that may never address the true cause of your sleep woes.

Your Breathing Might Be Stopping

If you find yourself waking up tired, it could be because you're struggling to breathe during the night. Sleep Apnea is a serious condition that, among other symptoms, can cause you to stop breathing for up to two minutes or more.

Sleep Apnea typically occurs when the soft tissue in your throat expands to the point that it blocks your airway when the tissue relaxes while you sleep. This condition often begins as normal snoring and develops into something much more serious.

Fortunately, Sleep Apnea can be treated through weight loss, CPAP machines, BiPAP machines, oral appliances, and other options.

Your Health Can Be Affected

Losing sleep at night can lead to many serious side effects that go beyond simply feeling tired during the day. You can find yourself suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and many other serious ailments if you don't get enough sleep at night.

Taking your concerns to a doctor sooner rather than later is critical to helping reduce the risk of these serious side effects. Don't try to muscle your way through the day by relying on caffeine and other artificial stimulants. Instead, address the root causes of your problems by seeking professional assistance from a doctor.

You Might Have an Underlying Condition

Sleep problems are often indicative of underlying conditions that have nothing to do with sleep itself. For example, certain dental issues, including TMJ disorders, can significantly disrupt your sleep as your body deals with its pain at a subconscious level.

Fortunately, TMJ treatment in Raleigh, NC is typically fairly straightforward and has an excellent prognosis. Addressing these underlying issues will do more than help improve your sleep. As your condition improves with treatment, you will notice an overall better quality of life during the day and night.

You Might Have Restless Legs Syndrome

One specific underlying condition that's worth noting is Restless Legs Syndrome. This condition can cause uncontrollable shaking of your legs, even while you're asleep. This extra energy expenditure can cause you to wake up feeling exhausted.

Since Restless Legs Syndrome is a largely neurological condition, treatment requires a multi-pronged approach that only a doctor can initiate and supervise. While some people feel embarrassed to talk about their Restless Legs Syndrome, seeing it as little more than a desire to fidget, taking your concerns to your doctor can vastly improve your quality of sleep.

Take It Seriously

Ultimately, the message to take away about sleep disorders is to take them seriously. When you're young and take delight in pulling all-nighters, a lack of sleep can seem fun and exciting. However, as you age and a lack of sleep becomes much more of a nuisance, you shouldn't try to keep treating your problems with the same flippancy that you did in college.

With a host of medical professionals ready and willing to aid you in your quest for better sleep, the only person you're punishing by not seeking treatment is you.