When we don't get proper rest, we are at an increased risk of developing a mental health condition, like depression and anxiety. Dr. Jeremy McConnell at Florida Sleep Specialists, located in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL, can discuss your sleep and mental health to determine the best treatment plan.

There are many ways to improve the quality of your sleep, and you can break out of a vicious sleep cycle. Sleep is essential for the physical and mental upkeep of your body and brain. However, it is also needed to maintain cognitive functions, like learning, memory, attention, and emotion regulation. Sleep disorders may be causing your poor sleep.
 

Sleep Disorders

Several treatable sleep disorders cause inadequate sleep and harm your mental health.
 

Insomnia

When the inability to sleep occurs night after night, you may have insomnia, the most common sleep disorder. For example, if you experience lying awake for hours, waking up too early without the ability to fall back asleep, or waking up frequently in the night, you may have insomnia.

You can avoid insomnia by restricting caffeine consumption to the mornings, quitting smoking, and avoid eating heavy foods at night. A consistent sleep schedule and avoidance of screentime right before bed may also help.
 

Sleep Apnea

With sleep apnea, your breathing will stop and start while sleeping. When the pauses last several seconds, your body can come out of deep sleep and turn into a light sleep. The disruption can cause you to experience daytime drowsiness, poor mood regulation, and other more serious concerns when left untreated.
 

Restless Leg Syndrome

Do you have an uncontrollable urge to move your legs? Are you experiencing an uncomfortable feeling in your legs? When you encounter this at night, you may have Restless Leg Syndrome, and this can cause significant issues with your sleep.

Dr. McConnell at Florida Sleep Specialists, located in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL, can diagnose your sleep disorder and help determine the best treatment.
 

Sleep Medicine

Sleep medicine is a medical subspecialty that focuses explicitly on diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. It is common for you to have a sleep disorder, and if you leave it untreated, it will start to have long-term consequences leading to an increased risk of chronic diseases and mental health disorders.

Physicians who work in sleep medicine look at the whole body, including your mind. There is a significant psychological impact of inadequate or insufficient sleep that can lead to poor mental health.

It's recommended that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, on average. If you fall below this recommendation, it may be time to see a sleep disorder specialist.

Please make an appointment today with Dr. McConnell at Florida Sleep Specialists, offices located in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL, because he can help you with your sleep disorder. To make an appointment at the Bradenton, FL office, call (941) 792-8383, or you can reach the Sarasota, FL office location by calling (941) 827-0701.