Many people are currently struggling with sleep disorders. In 2022, it was estimated that 13.5% of adults aged 18 and older felt exhausted on most days. The blame for this lack of essential sleep comes from varied sources, such as people working long hours in demanding fields such as medical care. However, most of what is causing these low rates of sleep are sleep disorders. These sleep disorders don’t just cause poor sleep; they can also greatly impact a person’s physical and mental health.
That’s why at Driftwood Recovery, we treat sleep disorders as seriously as any other mental health condition. With a focus on quality holistic treatment, clients don’t just get care for their conditions. They can also get a full night’s sleep.
To understand the role sleep plays in our health, we must first examine what sleep disorders are.
A Brief Overview of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders are defined as a condition that affects the quality, amount, and time of sleep you can get at night. Having too little or too much sleep can cause a cascade effect on a person’s ability to function. Some common examples of sleep disorders are:
- Insomnia
- Restless legs syndrome
- Narcolepsy
- Sleep apnea
- Parasomnias
Sleep disorders are caused by a myriad of reasons, many of which are beyond a person’s control. Some of these common causes are:
- A symptom from a medical or mental health condition such as asthma, depression, chronic pain, or anxiety
- Genetics
- Working night shifts
- A side effect of certain medications
- Using substances before bed, such as caffeine or alcohol
- Poor nutrition which can cause a decrease in essential chemicals or minerals in the brain
It’s important to be aware of how much sleep you get in a night. Adults need between seven and nine hours of quality sleep each night to function properly. If you notice that you are tired no matter how much sleep you get, cannot fall asleep, or experience cognitive and physical decline, it’s time to seek help.
The Role of Sleep on Health
Sleep is essential for everyone, not just those in recovery. However, having sleep disorders such as insomnia can play a significant role in the quality of your life during and after treatment. Treatment and recovery are hard work, and clients need sleep to heal properly and rejuvenate for the next day. Without sleep, a person’s cognitive abilities begin to decline. It makes it difficult to think and concentrate. People with poor sleep may also struggle with distress tolerance, making them feel irritated or depressed.
Part of treatment at Driftwood Recovery is ensuring that the client will have the healthiest life possible post-treatment, as sleep disorders can cause problems for physical health as well. Those with consistently poor sleep are more at risk for conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even dementia. Poor sleep results in poor reaction times, leaving those with poor sleep more prone to accidents and harm. In rare cases, conditions like insomnia can even be life-threatening.
A person struggling with a sleep disorder can’t concentrate on treatment. They also are more likely to experience a relapse, as being tired lowers mental resilience. Sleep disorders lower mood and generally make someone feel awful. It’s no way to begin or remain in recovery. Luckily, there are ways to treat sleep disorders that give those who struggle with them a new lease on life.
Treating Sleep Disorders at Driftwood Recovery
At Driftwood Recovery, we know how important sleep is for a healthy mind and body. Clients with sleep disorders have access to quality and comprehensive treatment designed to help them sleep well. Exactly what treatments or therapies are used depends on the particular sleep disorder and its severity. For general sleep care, clients are taught about nutrition, exercise, and sleep hygiene. Engaging your body in exercise, eating a healthy diet, and training your body to have a healthy nighttime routine can often be enough to help with mild sleep disorders.
For more severe disorders, such as insomnia, clients utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a way to manage their condition. CBT uses techniques such as sleep journals to help clients track their sleep quality and identify potential triggers that affect it. Medications may also be used to help a client’s body establish a new sleep schedule or treat underlying disorders causing the sleeping problems. For example, anxiety often causes symptoms such as a racing mind and heart, making it difficult to sleep. Anti-anxiety medications can quiet the mind and body, allowing the client to fall and stay asleep.
Driftwood Recovery has access to several experts in the mental and medical healthcare field, one of which is sleep experts who can perform sleep studies. These studies take place overnight and observe how a client sleeps. In many cases, these diagnose a client with sleep apnea. This disorder is treated through the use of a CPAP machine, allowing the client to have uninterrupted breathing during the night. Driftwood Recovery doesn’t just treat sleep disorders; we help clients get a diagnosis. For many, they struggle for years without knowing why they feel so tired. Having access to a valuable diagnostic tool such as a sleep study solves this mystery and paves the way for specialized care.
Overall, Driftwood Recovery doesn’t only provide treatment. We also help clients learn the skills needed for a healthy life. Establishing healthy habits now ensures not just an easier time in treatment but also allows clients to have a successful and continuous recovery.
Having a sleep disorder can have a profound effect on a person’s mental health. A lack of or too much sleep can also take a physical toll on a person’s physical health. In serious cases, sleep disorders like insomnia can result in hospitalization if treatment is not sought. That’s why at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, sleep disorders are treated as seriously as any other mental health condition. With an emphasis on holistic and comprehensive treatment, clients can learn ways to obtain restful and healthy sleep. If you or a loved one is struggling to get healthy sleep, don’t wait to get help. Learn more about our treatment plans at Driftwood Recovery by calling (512) 759-8330 today.