Sleep disorders

PROBLEMS RELATING TO SLEEP


HCA UK's experts can help to diagnose and treat a range of sleep disorders.

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About sleep disorders

At HCA UK, our team of experts specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of a range of sleep disorders. These include insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and narcolepsy.

Need to know

It is recommended that adults should get at least eight hours of good quality sleep a night. If you have a sleep disorder, you may suffer from fatigue, irritability and poor mental function.

Sleep disorders can have an adverse affect on your overall health, mental well being, safety and quality of life, and affect your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.

You may also be at risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

The most common symptoms of sleep disorders are:

  • Having trouble falling or staying asleep
  • Regularly feeling tired (fatigued) during the day
  • Having a strong urge to take naps
  • Poor concentration

Your GP or consultant will discuss your symptoms with you. Tests they may recommend include:

  • Filling out an Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire
  • Attending a specialist sleep clinic to assess the problems that you are having
  • Respiratory sleep study also known as overnight oximetry (to monitor your breathing, blood oxygen levels and heart rate)
  • Polysomnography (a sleep study that records your brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, breathing and eye and leg movements)
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor brainwaves

Treatment options for your sleep disorder depend on the nature of your condition.

Treatment options that your GP or consultant may recommend include:

  • Counselling such as cognitive-behaviour-therapy (CBT) to help you better manage unhelpful thoughts and habits relating to sleep
  • Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, where a machine and mask are used to deliver lightly pressurised air that helps to keep your airways open
  • Medicines to help you sleep (sleeping pills)

Types of sleep disorders

Sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea causes abnormal breathing patterns during the night which can affect the quality of your sleep.

More about sleep apnoea

Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep during the night.

More about insomnia

Restless legs syndrome (RLS)

RLS (or Willis-Ekbom disease) causes an uncomfortable sensation that forces you to move your legs as you try to fall asleep.

More about restless legs syndrome

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy causes excessive tiredness and can even cause you to fall asleep suddenly during the day.

More about narcolepsy

Patient stories

This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.