Sleep is something everyone needs. When you sleep, you recharge your mind and body for the next day. However, if you have underlying problems with a nervous condition or insomnia, you may develop various disorders known as parasomnias. Dr. Jeremy McConnell is your sleep doctor at Florida Sleep Specialists, who can help treat parasomnias in Bradenton & Sarasota, FL.

What Are Parasomnias?

 If you've heard of sleepwalking, then you are familiar with one of the most famous types of sleep disorders. Parasomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by unusual or disruptive behaviors while the person is still asleep, falling asleep, or waking up. These disruptive behaviors may occur while the person is lying down or moving around.

Sleepwalking is when you walk around and perform other activities while still asleep. In extreme cases, some people have even been known to drive a car during an episode. If you have ever woken up from sleep with intense fear, confusion, or screaming, you have had a sleep terror. Some people may act out dreams and do so violently. Sleep-related eating disorders cause people to eat while asleep and wake up with no memory of it. If you have ever woken up without being able to move or speak, you have experienced sleep paralysis.

What Causes This Disorder?

 Parasomnias in Bradenton & Sarasota, FL, may happen due to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can happen from stress, anxiety, or a poor sleeping environment. If you work long hours, such as truck driving, you may not have the proper 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep each night that you should get. Stress and anxiety can manifest themselves physically and affect the quality of sleep. Some people also experience sleep apnea, which causes you to stop breathing and wake up or snore. Neurological disorders can also create these conditions.

How Can Sleep Professionals Help?

McConnell approaches every patient with individualized care. When you consult with him, he will ask about your overall health, lifestyle, and sleeping environment. Improving your sleep hygiene, such as not eating before going to bed and cutting down on alcohol or smoking, can produce a more restful state. Reducing your overall stress throughout the day and treating underlying medical conditions, such as poor circulation, can also help. Sleep therapy and temporary medication may provide the relief you need.

McConnell is your local sleep doctor at Florida Sleep Specialists. If you experience parasomnias in Bradenton & Sarasota, FL, he can help you. Call our Bradenton, FL, office at  941-792-8383 or the Sarasota, FL, office at  941-827-0701 for more information.