Finding it hard to sleep? Professor Guy Leschziner shares his expertise on sleep disorders.

Why do I wake up in the middle of the night?

Sleep disturbances can be caused by many different reasons, and it’s important to remember that it’s quite normal to wake up in the middle of the night. Some people naturally take longer to fall asleep or are light sleepers who are easily woken by noise. Feeling anxious about work or life events can also make sleeping harder. 

If you’re waking multiple times in the night or struggling to get back to sleep, it’s a good idea to see a specialist to rule out a sleep disorder. They can also discuss habits that may be contributing to the problem, such as caffeine, alcohol or certain medications.

How much sleep do I need? Does this change by age?

Adults generally need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, but this varies from person to person – some people naturally need less sleep, while others need more. The amount of sleep we need also depends on how old we are. Teenagers will generally sleep for 10 hours or more, whereas as we age into our later years, we often find we need to sleep less, or that our normal sleep schedule shifts earlier.

What is the most common sleep disorder?

Insomnia, where you have trouble falling or staying asleep, is the most common sleep disorder. Around a third of adults experience sleep problems once a week, with around one in 10 people having chronic insomnia. This is where you have trouble falling or staying asleep most nights for at least three months. 

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is also very common. This is a sleep disorder where your breathing temporarily stops during sleep due to the muscles in your throat relaxing, causing you to choke, gasp and wake up.

What can cause a sleep disorder?

OSA can be caused by several different things. It can be caused by lifestyle factors like weight, alcohol consumption (especially before going to sleep) and smoking. It can also occur during or after the menopause, or due to your anatomy.

Some disorders, like periodic limb movement disorder, can be related to iron deficiency. There are also strong links between mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and PTSD, and sleep problems.

How do you test for a sleeping disorder?

At HCA UK, we offer a variety of diagnostic tests of the range of sleep disorders. For OSA, we offer home respiratory studies. Some patients with OSA require an inpatient polysomnography (PSG), an overnight diagnostic test that monitors your brain activity, eye and leg movements, heart rate and breathing during your sleep. We also use PSG to diagnose more complex sleep disorders. If we suspect that a patient has narcolepsy, we combine PSG with a multiple sleep latency test, an inpatient study used to measure how quickly you fall asleep. For other disorders such as circadian rhythm disorders, we use actigraphy. This monitors your sleep over two weeks to a month using a wearable sensor.

How do you treat sleeping disorders?

Treatment depends on the type of sleep disorder. There are a number of treatment options for OSA depending on its severity, but one of the more common treatments is a CPAP machine. This is a device with a mask you wear while you sleep that delivers a continuous flow of pressurised air to keep your airways open and stabilise your breathing. For more complex sleep disorders, there are various medications and non-drug-based therapies that can be used depending on your clinical history, diagnosis and existing medications.

If you’re experiencing sleep problems, our experts are here to help. Click here to find out more about sleep disorder care at HCA UK, or click here to view our sleep disorder specialists.