Common Signs of a Sleep Disorder

Look over this list of common signs of a sleep disorders, and talk to your doctor if you have any of them:

• It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night.
• You awaken frequently in the night and then have trouble falling back to sleep again.
• You awaken too early in the morning.
• You frequently don’t feel well rested despite spending 7–8 hours or more asleep at night.
• You feel sleepy during the day and fall asleep within 5 minutes if you have an opportunity to nap, or you fall asleep at inappropriate times during the day.
• Your bed partner claims you snore loudly, snort, gasp, or make choking sounds while you sleep, or your partner notices your breathing stops for short periods.
• You have creeping, tingling, or crawling feelings in your legs that are relieved by moving or massaging them, especially in the evening and when you try to fall asleep.
• You have vivid, dreamlike experiences while falling asleep or dozing.
• You have episodes of sudden muscle weakness when you are angry, fearful, or when you laugh.
• You feel as though you cannot move when you first wake up.
• Your bed partner notes that your legs or arms jerk often during sleep.
• You regularly need to use stimulants to stay awake during the day.

Also keep in mind that, although children can show some of these same signs of a sleep disorder, they often do not show signs of excessive daytime sleepiness. Instead, they may seem overactive and have difficulty focusing and concentrating. They also may not do their best in school.