Drifting off to sleep at work or in school can simply be the sign of staying up too late the night before, drinking too much, worrying too much right before bedtime or staying up late watching a movie or visiting with a friend. We all have the occasional sleepless night but when it becomes a constant problem it has developed into a sleep disorder and will very soon begin affecting your life performance- for the worse. Any number of sleep disorders could be to blame including insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or restless legs syndrome. Seek the advice of a health professional.

The fourth sign, feelings of moodiness, irritability, depression or anxiety can indicate a sleeping disorder. Life in general is easier to cope with on a day-to-day basis when we are well rested and at our best health wise. Look closely into the cause of your mood swings, depression, etc. In some causes a sleeping disorder, for example short-term insomnia might be the result of situational factors such as a recent death in the family, a move or a job loss, but in other causes it could be something more serious and more long-term.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is experienced by 15 percent of the population and is characterized by a “creepy, crawling feeling” in the legs or some people describe it as “pins and needles.” The feeling can make it difficult to fall asleep or can wake a person up suddenly and make them want to shake out the discomfort in their legs. Although not considered serious or even life threatening, RLS can be a frustrating sleep disorder for an individual and if he/she doesn’t sleep solo, for the other person in the bed as well. If this condition becomes frequent and extremely disruptive, medications can be prescribed to relieve the symptoms.

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