Sleeping Disorders
Sleep-wake disturbances are common among patients with liver failure. It may be because of the nervous system disorder or the overall pain that the damage in the organ may bring.
One of the sleeping disorders found in cirrhosis patients is insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep or having an unrefreshing sleep. Some may also suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep-wake upturn.
According to experts, sleep disorders among cirrhosis patients are sourced from complex health issues. It may be due to disturbed metabolism or could be related to hepatic encephalopathy, a condition in which toxins get to the brain because the liver is not capable of clearing them because of decreased function. Sleep-wake abnormalities improve when hepatic encephalopathy and liver disease are both appropriately managed.
Sleeping disorders may come as a symptom of many other health conditions. But it should not be taken for granted, especially if it is already causing trouble to how a person functions in the daily grind or it is coming with other, more severe symptoms. For example, if excessive sleepiness and other sleep disorders come with a swollen belly, yellowing of skin and eyes, and severe abdominal pain, it may be related to liver failure.
