This document discusses 7 common sleep problems - back pain, racing thoughts, snoring, waking up at night, restless legs syndrome, arthritis, and acid reflux - and provides scientific solutions to treat the underlying causes of insomnia associated with each problem. For back pain, it recommends a firm mattress and side sleeping position. For racing thoughts, it suggests sleep hygiene and cognitive behavioral therapy. For snoring, it discusses lifestyle changes and side sleeping. For waking at night in elderly patients, it emphasizes sleep hygiene. For restless legs syndrome, it notes dopamine agonists and iron supplementation. For arthritis, it proposes medications and supplements. And for acid reflux, it recommends head elevation. The key message is that by addressing the

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2. Seven Common Sleep Problems + How To Fix Them Using
Science
Try to answer this question, what could be the reason for your insomnia? You, the pa-
tient, could probably figure out the answer for your sleeplessness. The truth is, there
could be an underlying reason as to why you’re suffering from sleep-deprived nights. Is
it because of work, a medical condition or pain? If you have chosen any of these three
reasons or you could identify why you can’t sleep at night, then congratulations! This
makes it easier to treat your insomnia, whether you choose to do so by yourself or with
the help of a medical professional.
Want to know a secret?
Let’s lay the truth here: secondary insomnia is easier to treat than primary insomnia. If
there’s an underlying condition that is causing the sleeplessness it is termed as sec-
ondary insomnia. By treating the condition, we can treat the insomnia as well. In con-
trast to primary insomnia, where we can't find a possible cause for the sleeplessness,
also known as idiopathic insomnia. Despite medications or aggressive lifestyle changes,
it can be harder to treat this type of insomnia.
Of course, we’re only referring to secondary insomnia caused by medical conditions,
psychological issues or neurological conditions. But if the insomnia is caused by a ge-
netic mutation, the possibility of treating it is low, look at this article about the extreme
cases of insomnia. So what we’re looking into here are the common sleep problems that
might be causing the insomnia. Say, you have some sort of pain or external stimuli that
aggravates your sleeping issues, those are the problems that we would try to solve us-
ing science.
Stop the common sleep problem and you stop the insomnia

3. In this blog post, we would uncover the most common sleep problems. At the same
time, we would discuss some possible treatments for them using science. By getting to
the real cause of your insomnia, you can then enjoy that good night’s sleep. If you find
any of the cases below similar to yours, then try out the remedies we would be giving to
treat your sleeplessness.
Problem No. 1 - Joe who can’t sleep because of back pain
The case of the average Joe who suffers from low back pain and finds it hard to sleep at
night, isn’t this a common occurrence? The average Joe tosses and turns in bed, finding
it hard to find a position that can help ease his back pain. This is a very common sleep
problem, with insomnia occurring in around 64% of patients suffering from back pain.
You can refer to this 2012 published study for more information about the prevalence of
these co-occurring conditions.
In this case, it’s important to address the issue, which is your back pain. If you’re taking
medications to ease the pain, that’s the right path for treating the insomnia as well. If
you have tried therapies and natural remedies for your back pain, those are good
strategies as well. But if you want some scientifically proven ways to ease you back
pain, without the chemicals or surgeries, then listen to these two solutions.
First, try changing your mattress to better fit your situation. In a 2011 study, researchers
found that a very soft mattress can cause a sagging of the lower region of the pelvic
area. The researchers recommended that a person suffering from back pain should
have a custom-made firm mattress. This would allow for the deflection of the spine in a
more aligned position that can ease the pain of the individual.
Second, sleep in a position that’s more beneficial for your spine. Basically, we sleep in
three types of positions, namely: supine, prone and lateral. Which of these three have

4. been proved to be less pressuring on the back? In one study, it was found that sleeping
in the prone position aggravates the condition of patients with low back pain. Sleeping
on a supine position is okay, as long as you make sure that your back is supported well
by the mattress. But according to research, there’s no better sleep position than the lat-
eral position as it helps reduce the pressure in your back, just make sure you do not curl
your knees up high.

5. Problem No. 2 - Marie who can’t sleep because of racing thoughts
Ah, racing thoughts, the reason for many people as to why they have sleep deprivation.
The mere experience of recalling the day can turn into an hour-long or more struggle of
falling asleep. Marie usually fantasizes about her future, dreaming about her career
progression and before she can stop it, dawn has already arrived. Racing thoughts can
steal your perfect night’s sleep so they’re best stifled before they cause any more lack
of sleep.

6. Racing thoughts can also be the cause of sleeplessness for pregnant women. That’s
why in this study, the recommended interventions for insomnia caused by racing
thoughts are two-fold. First is by the introduction of proper sleeping habits to the racing
thoughts sufferer. For instance, if the person is constantly thinking about work, the bed-
room needs to be free from any stimulator of such thoughts, such as her work-related
stuff like computer, work desk or paper works.
The second treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. This course of treatment is rec-
ommended for chronic insomnia sufferers who have already eliminated external stimuli
that could be contributing to their sleeplessness. With the help of a therapist, the indi-
vidual would be subjected to weekly sessions, wherein the sleep expert would help him
or her determine certain aspects of her behavior that could be contributing to the in-
somnia.
Problem No. 3 - Ella who can’t sleep because of her snoring husband
For the couples, living with their partners can be a struggle sometimes. We have to
learn to live with the whole person, faults and all. A recent epidemiological study in the
UK have found out that around 41.5% of the sample population are snorers. Even more
startling is that 29% of these snorers are males. So Ella, who can't sleep because of her
snoring husband, is not really alone in this scenario.
Snoring is the result of an obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. The
cause for the disorder can be weakened throat muscles, accumulation of fat or it can
even occur as a symptom of sleep apnea. The problem with snoring is that there is real-
ly no known simple treatment for it. If your husband is a chain smoker, it can help to
change his lifestyle as this activity is known to impair the muscles of the throat which

7. can then contribute to the snoring. Other lifestyle changes when it comes to weight
maintenance, alcohol consumption and sleeping position can also help.
When it comes to the latter, several studies have proven that the lateral sleeping posi-
tion is the best position for snoring caused by sleep apnea. Like in this recent study, re-
searchers tested out various sleeping positions against total sleep time, snoring rate,
apnea index and more factors. They found out that the lateral position with cervical ver-
tebrae support with head tilting and scapula support is the best optimal position to re-
duce snoring rate and increase the sleep quality of the individual. Here’s another study
showcasing the efficacy of the lateral sleeping position in reducing apnea in patients.
Problem No. 4 - Aira who wakes up several times during the night

8. Aira is a 70-year old woman who constantly wakes up during the night, leading to her
disturbed sleep. According to an epidemiological study done in the elderly of Boston,
New Haven and Iowa, around 23% to 33% of the respondents have insomnia com-
plaints. In all areas, women have higher incidence rates of insomnia than men. If you try
and research for other studies in different areas, you would find that insomnia as people
age is not an uncommon occurrence.
Why does the risks of developing insomnia increase as we age? It is a combination of
both external and internal changes. The death of a loved one or even the separation
from the family can lead to depressive thoughts, leading to insomnia in the end. As we
age, we also experience changes in our physiological and physical functions, attenuat-
ing the symptom of insomnia as well.
Fortunately, with proper sleeping habits, it’s very easy to treat waking up at night. The
first treatment that the patient should undergo is lifestyle changes. In this study, basic
sleep hygiene was highlighted as an effective treatment for sleep-maintenance insom-
nia. During the day, the individual should have limited napping and more activities. The

9. bedroom should only be used for sleeping alone, any stimulating activity should be done
outside of it. If all else fails, medications can be given but not without proper behavioral
therapies and only if the patient truly needs them. In most cases, therapy alone is
enough to correct the sleeping habits of the person.
Problem No. 5 - Will who suffers from restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Will has the neurological disease known as restless legs syndrome. Whenever he is at
rest, including laying down to sleep, he has this consistent urge to move his legs. Not
doing so can lead to an uncomfortable feeling and only moving can help. Ultimately, his
sleep has been affected by his restless legs syndrome, causing him lesser sleep during
night time when the urge to move becomes more apparent.
The prevalence of restless legs syndrome increases amidst the elderly population. In
fact, in a 2000 study, it was found that around 19% of respondents aged 80 years and
above exhibited restless legs syndrome symptoms. This is higher in contrast to the 3%
prevalence for those aged 18 to 29 years old and 10% prevalence for those aged 30 to
79 years old. So what are the causes of restless legs syndrome? Researchers point to
two culprits, primarily the abnormal dopaminergic transmissions in the brain and secon-
darily the decrease of ferritin levels in the body.
Thus, the main course of treatment is the use of dopamine agonists. The most com-
monly prescribed dopamine agonists are cabergoline and pergolide. They effectively
mimic the effect of dopamine by binding to dopamine receptors and reducing the symp-
toms of restless legs syndrome. In fact, they have an efficiency rate of 70% to 90%.On
the other hand, low ferritin level is an indicator that you have decreased supplies of iron
in your body.
With decreased ferritin levels in the body, dopamine synthesis can also be affected. The
relationship between ferritin and dopamine levels is not yet established. But many stud-
ies, like this one and this one, have already postulated their possible causal relation-

10. ship. In the former, it was found that with iron deficiency, extra-cellular dopamine and
decreased dopamine receptors were likely consequences. In the latter, it was found that
neural iron deficiency can lead to the degeneration and even death of dopaminergic
neurons.

11. Problem No. 6 - Essie who has arthritis
Yet another common sleep problem is arthritis, which its incidence also increases as
people age. Essie is one of the millions of people affected by this disease characterized
by the inflammation of the joints. It is a painful disease which contributes to the exacer-
bation of insomnia. In Essie’s case, she has to endure sleepless and painful nights be-
cause of her arthritis.
In an epidemiological study of the Canadian population, it was found that 16.8% of the
population suffers from arthritis. Out of this percentage, 14.1% have reported to experi-
encing insomnia as a consequence of the pain from the disease. Several more studies,
like this one and this one, have also proved the co-occurring tendencies of arthritis and
sleep deprivation.
For those suffering from arthritis, it is necessary to seek the help of health professionals.
They can give some medications, such as acetaminophens and NSAIDs, for the treat-
ment of your pain. There are also alternative medications you can take like turmeric and
glucosamine supplements to aid in your healing. In a long-term study, omega-3 fatty
acids supplementation was also found as a possible alternative for rheumatic medica-
tion. This is because these fatty acids contain EPA and DHA, when derived from fishes,
that help in reducing the induction of inflammation in the body.
Problem No. 7 - Juliet who has nocturnal acid reflux
Clinically, acid reflux is termed as gastro-esophageal reflux disease or GERD. Symp-
toms such as an acidic taste at the back of the mouth, heartburn and regurgitation of

12. acid contents are experienced by patients, like Juliet. In her case though, the acid reflux
also occurs more frequently during night time, which has lead to sleep disturbance and
later on, sleep deprivation.
In this 2009 study, researchers found that as much as 68.3% of the GERD survey re-
spondents experienced sleep disturbances. Of this percentage, 49% have difficulties in
initiating sleep and 58% have difficulties maintaining sleep. This is because acid builds
up in the esophagus while the patient is sleeping, due to the impairment of important
acid clearance mechanisms such as swallowing and esophageal movement. This can
then lead to the disturbed sleep of the patient.
A very simple approach to treating nocturnal acid reflux is head-of-bed elevation. To try
out this remedy, simply elevate the position of the half of the bed using wood or plastic
materials. The mattress should be firm yet soft, an inflatable one should suffice. The el-
evation should at least be six inches for the remedy to be effective. Further, elevation
should be at least until the torso of the patient. In this study, it was found that this reme-
dy is effective in reducing the acid clearance time of patients and therefore, increasing
their quality of sleep.
The secret is out…
By removing the common sleep problem, the insomnia can also be treated. Just re-
member that sometimes, the problem is more than just what you see. If you find your-
self gazing to the skies at night and unable to sleep, you need some introspection. What
could be causing your insomnia? Are you sure that you have removed all obstacles in
order for you to get a good night’s sleep? If not, go through the cases above and
choose which one fits for your situation. Then, let science do the rest, as it treats your
case, not just your symptom.