When to Suspect a Sleep Disorder?

Feeling tired has almost become part of modern life. In general practice, fatigue is one of the most common symptoms people bring up, and it’s often brushed off as being due to stress, long hours at work, or poor sleep habits.

However, when tiredness starts to feel constant or begins to affect your mood, focus, or quality of life, it could be a sign that something deeper is going on, like an underlying sleep disorder.

What Counts as a Sleep Disorder?

According to Dr Lee Chuen Peng, Medical Director at O2 SleepWell Laboratory and respiratory physician at O2 Lung Centre, sleep disorders go far beyond just obstructive sleep apnea or snoring. They include a wide range of conditions that affect how well, how long, or how deeply you sleep.

Some sleep disorders include:

• Insomnia – difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Sleep apnea syndromes – repeated interruptions in breathing while asleep
• Parasomnias – sleepwalking, talking, or unusual behaviours during sleep
• Restless legs syndrome – a strong urge to move your legs at night
• Narcolepsy – sudden sleepiness during the day (less common)

Each of these conditions can impact how well your body rests. If left unmanaged, it could potentially lead to extreme fatigue, poor concentration, frequent headaches, or even long-term health risks like high blood pressure or heart problems over time.

Could Your Symptoms Point to a Sleep Disorder?

Not every bad night’s sleep means you have a sleep disorder. But if you’re always asking yourself “Why am I always tired?”, even after what feels like a full night’s rest, it could be time to take a closer look.

Here are a few signs worth noticing:

• You still feel tired even after 7–8 hours of sleep
• You wake up groggy
• You find it hard to focus or stay alert during the day
• You’ve been told you snore loudly, gasp, or seem restless at night
• You struggle to fall asleep, or wake up often
• You notice changes in mood, memory, or energy
• Someone else notices strange movements or behaviours while you sleep

If these sound familiar, it may be time to speak with a doctor. Many sleep disorders can go undiagnosed for years. A simple conversation, and in some cases a sleep study, can help uncover what is really affecting your rest and energy levels.

What Else Could Be Causing Your Fatigue?

When you raise concerns about chronic fatigue or poor sleep, your doctor will often consider several possibilities, such as:

• Iron or vitamin deficiencies
• Thyroid conditions
• Stress or mental health issues
• Medication side effects

If these are ruled out and your symptoms continue, the next step could be to look more closely at your sleep quality. This may involve a sleep diary, questionnaires, or screening tools to assess your sleep patterns.

To get a complete picture of what happens while you sleep, your doctor may recommend a sleep study or refer you to a sleep specialist.

Taking a Closer Look at Your Sleep

Dr Lee Chuen Peng, Medical Director at O2 SleepWell Laboratory and respiratory physician at O2 Lung Centre, highlights that a sleep study (polysomnography) could provide objective insights into what happens during sleep. It monitors and records your breathing, oxygen levels, brain waves, heart rate, and body movements while you sleep. This allows the specialists to identify patterns that point to specific sleep disorders.

This test helps detect:

• Breathing disruptions such as obstructive or central sleep apnea
• Movement-related disorders like restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements
• Conditions involving unusual sleep behaviors (parasomnias)
• Sleep–wake regulation issues such as narcolepsy
• Patterns linked to insomnia and other sleep disturbances

A sleep study may be done at home or in the sleep laboratory. A laboratory sleep study is usually preferred when symptoms are complex as it offers clearer and more complete insights.

What to Do If Sleep Issues Persist

If you’ve been feeling persistently tired, struggling to concentrate, or noticing snoring, restlessness, or disrupted sleep at night, you should take the next step and have a conversation with your doctor.

Sleep disorders are often overlooked, but early detection can make a significant difference to your daily wellbeing and long-term health. Your doctor can help with further evaluation and guide you on the next steps.

Find a Clinic

A detailed sleep study is now available at Cura Day Surgery (a member of Healthway Medical) for individuals who require it.

Conducted in collaboration with O2 Lung Centre, this in-lab test helps evaluate sleep quality and detect a range of sleep disorders, offering a clearer understanding of what might be happening during your sleep.

Learn More About O2 SleepWell Laboratory Sleep Study