

A nightcap may help you fall asleep, but it also can interrupt sleep later in the night, and can also cause more trips to the bathroom.Įating within a few hours of bedtime. One of the common causes of disrupted sleep is lifestyle, including any of the following habits:ĭrinking alcohol within four hours of bedtime. is the start of your 'biologic' night, then your natural wake time may be around 4 a.m.," Dr. "Your circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle, may dramatically shift when you're older, causing you to get sleepy earlier. But that often reflects your schedule for sleeping and waking, not disrupted sleep. Sometimes older adults find they wake early in the morning, when they feel they should be sleeping.

Suzanne Bertisch, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "We see more interrupted sleep in older adults, although you shouldn't automatically blame frequent waking on your age," says Dr. That makes it important to figure out what's interrupting your sleep. In the long term, inadequate sleep increases your risk for obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and even premature death. A lack of Zs makes it harder to think and easier to become irritated and anxious. But it's a different story when sleep is frequently interrupted. The world looks sunny after a great night's rest. Doctors can usually treat most sleep disorders effectively once they're correctly diagnosed.Unhealthy habits and underlying conditions contribute to interrupted sleep. There are many ways to help diagnose sleep disorders.

Sleep apnea, in which you experience abnormal patterns in breathing while you are asleep.Insomnia, in which you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night.Some common types of sleep disorders include: Sleep disorders can also be grouped according to behaviors, problems with your natural sleep-wake cycles, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping or how sleepy you feel during the day. They're often grouped into categories that explain why they happen or how they affect you. There are many different types of sleep disorders.
