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Bad night’s sleep could be a symptom of these health problems | To compile a list of 16 health problems associated with sleep disturbances, 24/7 Tempo reviewed dozens of articles in publications such as the Sleep Foundation, Science Daily, and National Institutes of Health. For similar lists visit 24/7 Wall St. .
Anxiety | Sleep problems are one of several physical symptoms of anxiety disorders. People struggling with anxiety are much more likely to experience serious sleep disturbances when facing stress, according to the Sleep Foundation.
Arthritis | It’s common for people with musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis to have trouble sleeping. More than 80% of people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis report fatigue, and arthritis patients may wake up feeling stiff and achy.
Bipolar disorder | Most people who have bipolar disorder have problems with sleep — both sleeping too much during a depression stage and feeling like they don’t need much sleep at all during a full mania stage.
Cancer | There is some evidence indicating that irregular sleep increases the risk of cancer because cell growth is highly influenced by the circadian rhythm, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Dementia | Though experts are not sure which comes first, it is believed that disturbed sleep may be one of the earliest symptoms of dementia. Daytime sleepiness and fragmented sleep at night are common among people with dementia, who, as a result, may take frequent naps during the day.
Diabetes | About half of people with type 2 diabetes struggle with sleep problems, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Sleep deprivation can lead to less insulin, which controls blood sugar levels, and more cortisol, which further hinders insulin’s job.
Epilepsy | As few as a quarter and as many as 55% of people diagnosed with epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes seizures, have insomnia, according to the Sleep Foundation. The insomnia may be a direct result of nighttime seizures.
Heart disease | Chest pain and discomfort are sometimes caused by heart disease, and they can make it hard to relax and fall or stay asleep. As many as 44% of people with heart problems also experience insomnia, according to the American College of Cardiology.
High blood pressure | Even one night of inadequate sleep in people already suffering from hypertension can cause elevated blood pressure throughout the following day, research has shown. A 2015 study published in the journal Hypertension that observed 200 people with chronic insomnia found that people who took 14 minutes to fall asleep were three times more likely to have high blood pressure.
Kidney disease | Sleep disorders such as insomnia, excessive sleepiness and sleep apnea are common among people living with chronic kidney disease.
Weight gain | Sleep loss can disturb energy expenditure because of its effect on leptin, an appetite suppressor, and ghrelin, an appetite increaser. Less leptin and more ghrelin explain why sleep-deprived people are hungry more often and why they tend to have a higher body mass index.
Slow metabolism | A person’s metabolism will not function properly if they are sleep deprived. Evidence has suggested that insufficient sleep influences metabolism because it alters glucose metabolism.
Parkinson’s disease | Most people with Parkinson’s disease experience sleep disturbances, the most common of which are difficulty falling asleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome and waking up to go to the bathroom. There is some evidence suggesting that sleep problems are one of the earliest signs of the nervous system disorder.
Schizophrenia | There is no evidence that sleep disturbances cause psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, but people diagnosed with the disorder often have sleep problems. In fact, psychiatric disorders are a leading cause of insomnia.
Sleep apnea | If undiagnosed, sleep apnea — a disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep – can increase the risk of heart disease.
Thyroid disease | People with an overactive thyroid may have trouble sleeping because of feelings of nervousness, irritability, and fatigue as well as night sweats and needing to go to the bathroom many times during the night. People with an underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism, may have trouble sleeping because of joint and muscle pain as well as feeling cold.
