Sleep Disorders 9 Questions to Ask Yourself for Better Sleep By Team Verywell Health Updated on January 22, 2020 Medically reviewed by Jenny Sweigard, MD Medically reviewed by Jenny Sweigard, MD LinkedIn Jenny Sweigard, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine. She is an in-patient physician at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center in North Carolina. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print 1 Am I Tossing and Turning? Insomnia is the most commonly encountered sleep disorder and occurs more as we get older. Women are more likely to report symptoms, in particular within the setting of sleep apnea that occurs beyond menopause. Insomnia also seems to be more common among those who are unemployed, single, or of low socioeconomic status. 2 Am I Having Trouble Breathing? Someone with sleep apnea may experience loud snoring, brief pauses in breathing, and intermittent gasping. During apnea events, the oxygen level of the blood drops, the heart rate increases, and sleep becomes disrupted as the affected person wakes up to resume breathing. This can have significant consequences on one's sleep quality, daytime function, and overall health. 3 How Long Does It Take Me to Nod Off? Life can get complicated. Some of our expectations regarding our sleep might be slightly misguided. The thought that we will doze off almost immediately upon retiring to our beds can be misleading. Deadlines, responsibilities, anxiety, or even other health issues can impact the rate at which we fall asleep. 4 Could I Have a Serious Issue? Sometimes it's helpful, from a psychological as well as a medical standpoint, to look at the long list of established sleep issues that may be affecting you. It may help you label the problem that is disturbing your ability to sleep and feel refreshed. 5 Is My Child Getting Enough Shut-Eye? When children don't get enough sleep at night to meet their age-based sleep needs, they are at risk of undermining their overall health. Researchers hypothesize that sleep disruption may cause permanent damage to the area of the brain called the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating appetite and energy expenditure. 6 Do I Have Trouble Waking Up? Sleep paralysis is a transient inability to move or speak as one goes from sleep to wakefulness, without other findings characteristic of narcolepsy. No treatment is needed, but avoiding sleep deprivation, stress, and other precipitants may be helpful. 7 Am I Tired Mid-Day? When it comes to reaping the benefits of napping, it's all about experiencing the right stages of sleep. If your nap takes you from stage one sleep (just drifting off) to stage two (when brain activity slows), you will wake up feeling energized and more alert. If your nap takes you into stages three and four (deep sleep), however, you will not wake easily and will likely feel groggy and tired. 8 Do I Get a Solid Night's Sleep? Studies on sleep show that those who get significantly less than the recommended hours each night may be operating under a sleep deficit. As a result, they may be prone to mild to moderate cognitive impairment, motor skill impairment, emotional irritability, weight gain, and weakened immunity. 9 Am I Dozing off Too Fast? You may consider yourself a perfect sleeper if you nod off quickly. You sleep extremely deeply and it seems that you could take a nap at any time and fall asleep anywhere. It may seem odd, but being able to fall asleep fast can actually be a sign of an abnormality with your sleep. 9 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Jehan S, Myers AK, Zizi F, et al. Sleep health disparity: the putative role of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Sleep Med Disord. 2018;2(5):127-133. Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ. Obstructive sleep apnea: current perspectives. Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657 Luyster FS, Strollo PJ Jr, Zee PC, Walsh JK, Boards of Directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. Sleep: a health imperative. Sleep. 2012;35(6):727-734. doi:10.5665/sleep.1846 K Pavlova M, Latreille V. Sleep Disorders. Am J Med. 2019;132(3):292-299. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.09.021 Sharma S, Kavuru M. Sleep and metabolism: an overview. Int J Endocrinol. 2010;2010. doi:10.1155/2010/270832 Denis D. Relationships between sleep paralysis and sleep quality: current insights. Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:355-367. doi:10.2147/NSS.S158600 McDevitt EA, Alaynick WA, Mednick SC. The effect of nap frequency on daytime sleep architecture. Physiol Behav. 2012;107(1):40-44. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.05.021 Alkadhi K, Zagaar M, Alhaider I, Salim S, Aleisa A. Neurobiological consequences of sleep deprivation. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2013;11(3):231-249. doi:10.2174/1570159X11311030001 Gonnissen HKJ, Hursel R, Rutters F, Martens EAP, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Effects of sleep fragmentation on appetite and related hormone concentrations over 24 h in healthy men. Br J Nutr. 2013;109(4):748-756. doi:10.1017/S0007114512001894 Additional Reading Baker FC, Willoughby AR, Sassoon SA, Colrain IM, de Zambotti M. Insomnia in women approaching menopause: Beyond perception. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015;60:96-104. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.06.005 See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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