What are sleep disorders?
Sleep disorders are conditions that repeatedly disturb the amount, quality or timing of sleep. The most common is insomnia: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early, often linked to stress, anxiety, low mood, pain or irregular routines. Others include obstructive sleep apnoea, which causes loud snoring with pauses in breathing, restless legs syndrome, and acting out dreams. Poor sleep affects mood, memory, headaches and blood pressure, so lasting problems deserve assessment.
Sleep Disorders at Curewell Speciality Clinic: at a glance
- Who you will see
- Dr. Mailan K (MBBS, DNB (Neuro), DPM, MHA, FICP)
- Tests that may be used
- A sleep diary for one to two weeks, a bed partner's account, iron levels, and a sleep study if apnoea is suspected
- Treatment approach
- Changes to sleep habits; treatment of anxiety, low mood or pain; short-term medicine only if needed; specific treatment for apnoea or restless legs
- When it is an emergency
- Usually not an emergency. If you fall asleep while driving or at work, stop driving until you have been assessed.
- Where and when
- #125, MM Road, Frazer Town, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560005. Open Mon–Sat 10 AM–10 PM, Sun 11 AM–10 PM. Walk-ins welcome; call or WhatsApp 74066 57632.
Insomnia — difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early — is the most common sleep problem. It is often linked to stress, anxiety, low mood, pain, irregular routines or late-night screen use. Other sleep disorders include obstructive sleep apnoea (loud snoring with pauses in breathing, leading to daytime sleepiness), restless legs syndrome (an urge to move the legs in the evening), and acting out dreams during sleep, which is sometimes linked to neurological conditions.
Because sleep sits where neurology and mental health meet, a doctor trained in both is well placed to look at the whole picture. The aim is not simply a sleeping tablet, but to find what is disturbing sleep and address it.
What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?
- Difficulty falling asleep, or lying awake for long periods at night
- Waking repeatedly, or too early, and not getting back to sleep
- Loud snoring, choking or gasping, or pauses in breathing noticed by others
- Feeling very sleepy or falling asleep during the day
- An uncomfortable urge to move the legs in the evening or at night
- Shouting, kicking or acting out dreams during sleep
One of these alone doesn't mean you have this condition; most symptoms have more than one cause. Not sure? When to see a neurologist
How does Dr. Mailan K assess and treat sleep disorders?
Four steps, at Curewell Speciality Clinic, #125 MM Road, Frazer Town.
Step 1: Assessment
Dr. Mailan K asks about your sleep pattern, routine, caffeine, screens, work shifts, mood, stress, pain and medicines. A bed partner's description of snoring, breathing pauses or movements in sleep is very valuable.
Step 2: Diagnosis
A sleep diary for one to two weeks is often the most useful test. Blood tests such as iron levels (for restless legs) may be advised. If sleep apnoea is suspected, a sleep study, which records breathing and oxygen overnight, may be recommended.
Step 3: Treatment
For insomnia, the first step is usually changing sleep habits and routines, and treating any anxiety, low mood or pain behind it. Sleeping tablets, if used at all, are generally kept short-term because of the risk of dependence. Restless legs, sleep apnoea and other sleep disorders each have specific treatments.
Step 4: Follow-up
Sleep is reviewed using your diary. Medicines, if any, are reviewed and reduced when appropriate. Because poor sleep often travels with headaches, mood problems and memory complaints, these are looked at together.
What should I bring to my first visit?
- A sleep diary for 1–2 weeks: bedtime, time to fall asleep, wake-ups, wake time
- Your bed partner, or their notes on snoring, breathing pauses or movements
- All medicines, including any sleeping tablets and supplements
- Notes on caffeine, alcohol, screen time and work shifts
Questions about Sleep Disorders
Why see a neurologist for sleep problems?
Sleep is controlled by the brain and is closely linked to mood, headaches and memory. A neurologist with psychiatry training can assess both the neurological and the emotional causes of poor sleep.
Are sleeping tablets safe?
Some can help in the short term, but many cause dependence or next-day drowsiness if used for long. The focus is on finding and treating the cause of poor sleep, and on habits that support natural sleep.
Is loud snoring a problem?
Snoring with pauses in breathing, gasping or daytime sleepiness may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea, which is linked to high blood pressure and other health problems. It is worth having it assessed.
What is restless legs syndrome?
It is an uncomfortable urge to move the legs, usually in the evening or at night, that eases with movement. It can be linked to low iron and some medicines, and it is treatable.
Book a consultation with Dr. Mailan K
#125 MM Road, Frazer Town. Open Mon–Sat 10 AM–10 PM, Sun 11 AM–10 PM. Walk-ins welcome.
