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5 most common sleep disorders that people struggle with

For National Sleep Week, #HTownRush will be looking into all of the many reasons why you may not be getting a full night's rest.

Millions of Americans struggle with sleep every night. But recent studies have shown the coronavirus pandemic has made this problem worse.

For National Sleep Week, KHOU 11 spoke to certified sleep expert and Nap Bar Houston founder Khaliah O. Guillory.

"What are the five most common sleep disorders that people struggle with?" asked KHOU 11 Xavier Walton.

"Most people don't know what insomnia is and the biggest indicator is that you're waking up two to three times a week at 3 a.m. and you can't understand why you have daytime sleepiness," said Guillory. "You're moody. Perhaps you have another onset of depression that typically means that you are suffering with insomnia."  

Restless leg syndrome is a sleep disorder most people are unfamiliar with, according to Guillory.

"This basically is just when you are asleep or you are attempting to go to sleep, your legs go numb, their throbbing, they're twitching."

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Shift work disorder is another common sleeping disorder during the pandemic, according to Guillory.

"Most people haven't heard of rapid eye movement behavior disorder. So this is usually associated with people who are vivid dreamers," said Guillory. "If you are very vocal in your dreams, if you are somewhat violent in your dreams, if you're kicking, screaming if you're doing anything with your hands."

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Narcolepsy rounds out the top five sleeping disorders, according to Guillory. 

"You know, a lot of people brag about. 'Oh, I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. As soon as my head hits the pillow and I am asleep,'" said Guillory. "Studies show that on average it should take you ten to fifteen minutes to actually fall asleep. So if you were falling asleep with the drop of a hat or within a minute or so, studies show that perhaps you are experiencing narcolepsy."  

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