home Analyzes How to deal with insomnia. Recipes for healthy sleep from leading somnologists. Dandelion root drink. General strategy for combating chronic insomnia

How to deal with insomnia. Recipes for healthy sleep from leading somnologists. Dandelion root drink. General strategy for combating chronic insomnia

Sleep is the most important part of a person’s life, because at this time processes occur in the body, thanks to which the psycho-emotional and physical state body. While we sleep, the brain processes the information received and assimilates it, which is why they say that the morning is wiser than the evening.

Sleep disturbances lead to disruptions in various systems of the body - immunity decreases, mental disorders and vascular diseases develop. Why is it dangerous at night? bad dream in adults? What are its reasons? What should I do to normalize my night rest?

Sleep disorders in adults - types

There are more than 50 different conditions and diseases that lead to sleep disorders. Sleep disorders themselves are divided into the following concepts:

Dyssomnia – difficulty falling asleep, daytime sleepiness, feeling of fatigue after a night's rest persists.

Presomnia – a person cannot fall asleep for 2 or more hours.

Postsomnia - a night's rest does not bring vigor, one feels weak and apathetic.

Hypersomnia is daytime sleepiness that is sometimes uncontrollable.

Causes of poor sleep

It is useful for readers of Popular Health to know that there is a very large list causes of sleep disorders in adults, but we will now look at the most common ones.

1. Internal disorders of the body systems - vegetative-vascular dystonia (the patient experiences panic attacks), apnea syndrome. This also includes restless legs syndrome (itching, sensation of insects crawling on the skin, tingling).

2. External reasons– stress, overexertion, pain, intake various drugs(psychotropic drugs in particular), alcohol intoxication, excessive smoking, drinking heavily before bed, overeating. Due to such reasons, nightmares may occur.

3. Circadian disorders - typical when changing time zones, as well as when working shifts. Such sleep disturbances occur in people who are prone to depression. To increase vigor, they take energy drinks in the morning, and at night they drink sedatives, thereby disrupting the body’s natural rhythm and causing their psycho-emotional state to worsen.

People with mental disorders may suffer from sleepwalking (waking while sleeping), bruxism (teeth grinding) or narcolepsy (excessive nap livability).

Any sleep disturbance requires treatment if it lasts more than three weeks. This issue lies within the competence of the sleep specialist, however, when neurological or psycho-emotional disorders are identified in the patient, other specialists - a neurologist and a psychiatrist - are also involved in treatment.

What's wrong with an adult having poor sleep??

Being small children, few people understand how wonderful this time is. What do parents require from their child? Grow up, get smarter, go for walks so as not to sit in front of the monitor, not get sick, eat well, go to bed on time... Having grown up, all people are forced to work in order to be able to provide for themselves and their families. Accordingly, if an adult’s sleep fails, this will directly interfere with his work. What if problems with night rest repeat again and again?! So this shouldn't happen.

What to do if you have a bad dream?

And first of all, you need to organize yourself so as to establish correct mode sleep. This is very important, because due to the lack of a clear regime in the human body, biological rhythms.

1. Determine for yourself the time at which you will go to bed every day. It is advisable to go to bed before 11 pm, or even better before 10 pm. According to neurologists, the most valuable and important period of sleep is the time period between 22.00 - 1.00 am. It is at this time that the body best shows its regenerative activity.

2. Half an hour to an hour before falling asleep, it is advisable to relax - read fiction or listen to light music.

3. You shouldn’t eat at night; it’s better to have a light dinner no later than 2 hours before going to bed. Drink plenty of fluids It should also be excluded so as not to go up to the toilet at night.

4. A walk in the evening will come in handy.

5. Avoid drinking invigorating drinks after lunch. At night it is better to drink weak tea with lemon balm and a spoon of honey or a glass of warm milk.

6. If you suffer from insomnia or are tormented by restless legs syndrome, give yourself a relaxing warm evening bath. A gentle massage of the limbs will not be amiss.

8. It is necessary to give up alcoholic beverages if you drink them often.

9. Neurologists warn against self-administration of any sedative and psychotropic drugs that may aggravate the patient’s problem.

If no independent actions help you get a good night's rest, you should seek help. medical assistance. It is especially important to do this if you suffer from nighttime seizures (panic attacks, nightmares), as well as if you notice manifestations of narcolepsy or somnambulism. Narcolepsy is especially dangerous for drivers and people working in production with machinery and equipment - uncontrolled daytime sleep can cost them their lives.

In most cases, sleep disorders in adults disappear if the correct regime of wakefulness and rest is organized. Stress is the main cause of insomnia in middle-aged people. Abundance of information, high work loads, conflict situations, lack of annual leave– all these factors contribute to the accumulation negative emotions and fatigue, which often develops into chronic and leads to depressive disorders. A healthy lifestyle, exercise, walking, and a proper daily routine are the key to a normal night’s sleep.

Sleep disturbance is a very common phenomenon. Approximately 8-15 percent of adults complain of poor sleep, and 9-11 percent take different means with a hypnotic effect. Moreover this statistic among pensioners it is much higher. Intermittent restless sleep can occur at any age, even in infants.

For each age groups have their own types of disorders. Nocturnal enuresis, sleepwalking and fears occur in childhood, and a pathological feeling of drowsiness, insomnia, and sensitive anxious sleep are more common in older people.

Women over 50 who have started menopause are especially susceptible to various disorders. Sleep problems occur in those over 60 years of age 3 or even 4 times more often than in middle-aged people.

There are also sleep problems that arise with childhood accompanying a person throughout life, for example, narcolepsy. IN similar cases It is necessary to urgently contact a specialist to prescribe treatment.

The normal duration of the period when a person sleeps varies from person to person – from 4-5 to 10-12 hours a day. This means that there are healthy short sleepers and long sleepers. The main indicator of normal sleep is the feeling of rest. Losing it is a reason to suspect complications in the sleep-wake cycle.

If performance is in daytime hours significantly decreased due to chronic fatigue, which persists for a long time, despite regular sleep at night, it is worth carefully examining the body.

Causes and types of violations

Studying the pathogenesis of sleep disorders, scientists have identified a number of factors that provoke them. Poor sleep in a healthy person can occur for the following reasons:

The habit of having dinner late (3-4 hours before falling asleep).
Restless state (overexcitement). It is caused by: intense training or mental work, the presence of strongly expressed emotions (can be either positive or negative due to stress); working on a computer, watching TV, loud sounds; abuse of energy drinks (strongly brewed tea, coffee drinks).
Low mobility during the day, lack of exercise and motor activity, getting up late, sleeping during the day.
Discomfort in the sleeping area: poorly selected mattress with pillow and bedding, increased or decreased air temperature, etc.
Frequent changes in time zones, working at night.

Sleep disorders can be primary (no connection with pathology in the organs) and secondary, caused by various ailments. Sleep disorders are often caused by diseases of the central nervous system. It may be a consequence of mental disorders.

Many somatic diseases lead to difficulty sleeping at night due to pain, coughing attacks, heart problems such as angina or arrhythmia, itching. The problem is often observed with intoxications of various origins.

Loss of sleep can also be due to disturbed hormonal levels. Women encounter the phenomenon of shallow short sleep during pregnancy (especially in the third trimester due to a drop in progesterone levels before childbirth) and during menopause.

Among hormonal disorders leading to such deviations can also include diseases characterized by pathology of the hypothalamic-mesencephalic region. We are talking about epidemic encephalitis and tumors.

Violations can be classified into four main types:

Insomnia

One of the most common is insomnia - insomnia. This is a disorder associated with the process of falling asleep and staying asleep. Insomnia is characterized by insufficient depth of sleep (it can be called superficial), numerous awakenings, and difficulty falling asleep after each of them.

A person can toss and turn all night, periodically falling into a short and light sleep, and in the morning you feel broken and tired, completely sleep-deprived. A similar problem can be observed in people suffering from hypertension, especially if it appeared after a stroke.

It is also caused by neuroses, depression, drug addiction, alcoholism, diseases affecting the liver and kidneys, and chronic pain syndromes. Insomnia often occurs in those who have skin ailments accompanied by itching, which disrupts night rest. Insomnia happens:

Psychosomatic (depending on psychological state). Has a situational (temporary) or permanent nature.
Caused by exposure to alcohol (especially during binge drinking) or medications taken that affect the central nervous system, depressing or toning it.
Provoked by mental disorders.
Accompanied by apnea or decreased alveolar ventilation.
Caused by a syndrome called "". This disease is often observed in those suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Arising due to other pathological problems.

You can learn more about the causes of insomnia and ways to combat it from the program “Live Healthy” with Elena Malysheva.

Hypersomnia

Another common disorder is hypersomnia. We are talking about a pathological increase in sleep duration (excessive drowsiness). Influence at this problem have neurological, endocrine, rheumatological diseases.

She is usually accompanied by depressive state, increased irritability, causeless anxiety. After waking up, a person does not have the feeling that he rested during the night. He lacks sleep, walks around nervous, lethargic, drowsy all day, and wants sweets. Hypersomnia can be:

Psychophysiological origin with a temporary or permanent nature.
Provoked by alcoholic beverages or medications;
A consequence of mental illness;
Combined with breathing disorders at night;
Caused by narcolepsy.
Resulting from other pathological conditions.

Wrong mode

Failure to comply with night and daytime routines causes sleep disorders:

Temporary. They can occur with a sudden change in work schedule or time zone.
Permanent. With them, slow premature falling asleep is observed.

Parasomnia

Another type of deviation is parasomnia. We are talking about disturbances in the functioning of organs associated with sleep or getting up in the morning. The following manifestations are classified as parasomnia:

Somnambulism is unconscious actions performed by a person while he is sleeping. In this state, people can rise to dark time days out of bed, move and even do something. Moreover, they perform these actions without waking up. When trying to bring them to consciousness, they show resistance and can be dangerous at such moments for themselves and others. Basically, this state lasts no longer than 15 minutes. Then the somnambulist goes back to bed, continuing to sleep, or wakes up. It is noted that somnambulism has a connection with the phases lunar calendar. The deterioration of the condition, according to experts, occurs during the full moon;
enuresis – involuntary urination at night;
fear and anxiety. Fears often appear at the beginning of dreams. A person jumps out of bed screaming, he experiences panic attacks, which are accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, intermittent breathing, dilated pupils. A few minutes later, the person comes to his senses and falls asleep again. When he wakes up, he remembers nothing of his nightmares;
other.

Symptoms

Common signs of sleep disorders include the following:

Feeling of insufficient rest at night.
Presomnia disorders, expressed in the inability to fall asleep evening time, turning from side to side. They are often accompanied by anxiety, obsessions and fear.
Intrasomnic worsening. They can be recognized by their superficial disturbing sleep with periodic awakening.
Post-somnia disorders. When falling asleep well, the patient gets up earlier than usual, then he is unable to fall asleep again, or he falls into a restless sleep. It often manifests itself in the fairer sex and older men, as well as in people who are depressed.
Feeling of lack of restored strength in the morning.
Feeling sleepy. The patient begins to doze throughout the day.
State of fatigue.
Anxiety before falling asleep.

Diagnosis

Problems with night rest can serve as evidence of the presence of various diseases, and quite serious ones at that.

Diagnosis of such disorders is prescribed for difficulty breathing, snoring, abnormal behavior in children, difficulty getting out of bed, fear, enuresis, narcolepsy, ADHD syndrome, developmental pathologies, apnea, epilepsy and insomnia.

To find out the reasons why there are difficulties with falling asleep and resting in the dark, you should resort to polysomnography (PSG).

PSG is diagnostic method, which includes recording an EEG (4 channels), an oculogram, an ECG, a myogram, recording the oxygen content in the blood, recording the movements of the arms and legs, measuring respiration and humidity.

Treatment

Elimination of disorders associated with a state of rest at night is a set of measures aimed at improving the patient’s condition. We are talking about special physical exercises, relaxation techniques, psychotherapy, aromatherapy, and drug treatment.

For each individual case, the specialist selects therapy individually. Many disorders such as insomnia cannot be treated with pills that have a sleeping effect. Taking such medications does not provide long-term results, and in some cases is completely contraindicated.

So treating a problem caused by apnea with sleeping pills or sedatives poses a danger to the patient's life. To get rid of insomnia or hypersomnia that arises against the background of such a disease, you can only strictly follow the instructions of your doctor.

Any drug therapy sleep disorders should be prescribed by a specialist.

It is usually prescribed when other methods, including psychotherapy, do not produce a positive effect. Medicines are selected carefully, especially regarding their dosage. Self-medication is unacceptable, as it can aggravate the situation and lead to serious consequences.

Home methods that can be used to combat this problem include the following:

Compliance and wakefulness.
Going to bed at night with the first signs of drowsiness.
The habit of falling asleep exclusively in bed. Many people fall asleep while watching TV or reading a book in a chair, and then are forced to interrupt it to go to the bedroom. This negatively affects the quality of rest in the dark.
Avoid eating heavy food four hours before going to bed.
Train yourself to stop dozing during daylight hours.
Introduce a relaxing evening ritual into your life. They may have the habit of walking outside in the wee hours of the night, taking a warm bath, or reading.

Many healing herbs help effectively combat sleep disorders at home. There are quite a few effective recipes traditional medicine, used for this problem:

Herbalists recommend drinking a decoction of valerian roots the night before going to bed.
Melissa infusion has a good effect.
You can solve the problem of insomnia with warm baths with a decoction of hop cones. It can also be taken orally.
Will help overcome disorders medicinal collection, which includes marjoram, lavender and hawthorn flowers. It is advisable to drink an infusion of these herbs warm before falling asleep.

Most cases of sleep disorders can be eliminated with adequate therapy with the elimination of the symptoms of the main disease. In order to prevent them, it is recommended to follow a daily routine, lead a healthy lifestyle with normal physical and mental stress, and not abuse medications that affect the functioning of the brain and nervous system.

What to do if you have insomnia? If you have to fight every time to fall asleep, no matter how much you want to sleep... If staying awake in the middle of the night for several hours becomes a habit... Let's try to analyze the main tips and recommendations that psychologists give to combat insomnia.

What is insomnia and what symptoms does it accompany?

Sleep disorders are a fairly popular neurosis that affects emotional state human, energy, health and performance. Chronic insomnia is often the cause of serious health problems. However, small changes in your life and certain exercises can save you from anxious nights.

Signs of insomnia:

difficulty falling asleep;
early awakening;
needing alcohol or sleeping pills to sleep soundly;
fatigue, daytime sleepiness, irritability or inability to focus on work;
periodic awakenings at night.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder when a person is unable to fully rest. As a result, he feels tired and irritable in the morning. Keep in mind that people need different amounts of sleep. The extent of the disease is determined by the quality of sleep, how you feel in the morning and the time it takes to fall asleep. You can even sleep the required 8 hours at night, but if then daytime you feel tired and drowsy, which means you may already be diagnosed with insomnia.

Causes of insomnia

Insomnia can also be a consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle or bad habits. For example, this applies to caffeine lovers or those people who experience stress on a daily basis.

Still, there is great news - most often, sleep disorders can be cured! This can be done without taking medications.

Physiological and psychological reasons

Sometimes sleep disturbance is temporary (just a couple of days). In such situations, a person also experiences temporary negative factors- stress or strong anxiety before an upcoming event. At other times, insomnia is a persistent phenomenon that needs to be eliminated.

Sometimes the main problem with the appearance of symptoms of sleep disturbance concerns a person’s mental or physical activity:

Psychological factors causing unpleasant symptoms: recurrent depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, constant stress.
Medications that negatively affect sleep: medications for flu or colds, including painkillers, alcohol, caffeine, corticosteroids.
Some diseases: Parkinson's syndrome, increased function thyroid, renal pathology, reflux (acid), allergic reactions, strong constant pain, asthma, cancer.

Chronic insomnia: main factors

Before starting treatment for this disease, it is necessary to analyze possible reasons its occurrence. Factors that negatively affect sleep include: constant worry, stress, bad habits, etc. Once you can determine for yourself why you have insomnia, you can find the most effective treatment.

Do you have regular stress?
Is there constant depression or just a bad mood?
Don't have the strength to fight a chronic feeling of extreme excitement or anxiety?
You may be using medications that can interfere with deep sleep?
Do you have a medical condition that affects your sleep?
Does the atmosphere in the house contribute to a comfortable and relaxing holiday?
Do you devote enough time every day to walking? fresh air?
Do you have a stable sleep schedule (do you fall asleep at the same time)?

Treatment methods for insomnia

Before you begin treatment, be aware that some of the things you do to manage your illness may make you feel worse. Eg, we're talking about about alcoholic beverages or strong sleeping pills - this is not a method for restoring healthy sleep. You should also pay attention to the amount of coffee consumed during the day. It happens that it is enough for a person to correct his negative habits, get rid of them, and healthy and sound sleep returns to them.

Instead of bad habits, you need to introduce new ones into your life that will promote sound and healthy sleep:

Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet and dark. Increased air temperature, harsh light or the slightest rustle can be serious reasons for lack of sleep. Then you can use earplugs, a sleep mask or light-blocking curtains, or a fan.
Set up the correct rhythm of wakefulness and sleep - try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time. This also applies to weekends.
During the day it should be excluded nap. Push yourself more.
Avoid excitement or stress before bed. This includes physical exercise, conflicts or discussions, TV, video games, computer.
Avoid using brightly lit gadgets before bed.
Try to eliminate or limit to a minimum your intake of caffeine, alcohol or nicotine.

Keeping a diary to identify bad habits is a condition for defeating insomnia

Sometimes a person gets so used to certain actions that he completely ceases to attach any significance to them. In other words, he has no idea that this action could negatively affect his health.

Perhaps the quality of your sleep is affected by a small cup of your favorite coffee every day. On the other hand, maybe you are just used to watching TV until late at night and your body has already developed its own sleep and wakefulness schedule. To identify hidden habits, it is best to keep a diary.

All you have to do is write down all the details about your daily habits. sleep rhythms, symptoms and about insomnia. Such details include the time and place you fall asleep, the time you wake up, what you like to drink and eat, and so on.

Preparing the body for night mode

At night, certain structures of the brain synthesize melatonin, which helps the body regulate the correct sleep-wake rhythm. Because melatonin is controlled by light, a lack of natural light during the day can make you sleepy, while too much dim lighting at night can suppress melatonin production and cause sleep disturbances.

To eliminate such problems, follow these tips:

Increase your time in nature. Take breaks between work outside when sunlight, try not to put it on your eyes too much Sunglasses and open blinds and curtains during the day.
Limit artificial light at night. To increase melatonin production, turn on dim lamps, cover the windows in your bedroom, avoid harsh light and turn off television, smartphones and monitors. If it is not possible to darken the room, you can use a special eye mask.

What to do about lack of sleep?

“I’m tormented by insomnia, what should I do?” - we hear this question from our clients more and more often. Of course, the more difficulty you have with sleep, the more it begins to intrude on your thoughts. You may be afraid to fall asleep because you are simply sure that you will have restless sleep for many hours. Perhaps you're worried because you have a tough day ahead of you tomorrow, and if you don't get your eight hours of sleep, you're sure you'll blow an important presentation at work. Expecting difficulties with sleep only aggravates the situation with insomnia; excitement fills your body with adrenaline, and while you are thinking about it, you cannot fall asleep.

How can you learn to identify your bed not with insomnia, but with good sleep and rest?

If concerns are interfering with your ability to relax at night, there are some techniques that can help.

You need to adhere to some requirements:

The bedroom is intended exclusively for sleeping. Don't watch TV, don't work, don't use gadgets. The goal is that you should establish clear associations of your bedroom with relaxation and sleep.
If sleep doesn't come to you, don't stay in bed. Don't try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning can only increase anxiety. Get up, go to another room and, for example, read a book, drink a cup of warm, weak tea, take a bath, or turn on soothing music. When you feel that sleep is returning to you, return to bed.
Remove the room clock from view. You will be upset, nervous and worried even more when you see how minutes pass without sleep. Everything must be done to eliminate anxiety conditions.

The fight against insomnia is doomed to failure if you constantly feed it with your negative thoughts.

How to cope with a shift work schedule?

Night work or an unstable schedule can ruin your sleep. But you have the opportunity to limit Negative influence by practicing a healthy lifestyle and following the tips below:

Adjust your sleep-wake rhythm - in a work environment, turn on bright electric lamps or fluorescent lamps, and when returning home, put on high-quality glasses to protect your eyes from the sun's rays.
Spend less time commuting to your work office - it takes away hours of your sleep. The more time you spend commuting home, the harder it will be to force yourself to fall asleep after work.
Avoid frequent changes to your work shift schedule.
Make your bedroom light—and noise—proof. Use special curtains or an eye mask, turn off your phone, and play soothing music during your nap.

General strategy for combating chronic insomnia

You lie at night with with open eyes with thoughts of “what if?” and come up with worst case scenarios? Chronic worrying is a mental habit that you can overcome if you learn about it.

Negative thoughts that need to be abandoned and replaced with correct ones

Unrealistic expectations: “I must sleep at night like a normal person”;
Solution: “Many people have trouble falling asleep from time to time. I need to practice more";

Exaggeration: “Another night of sleepless suffering”;
Solution: “It’s not the same every night. Sometimes I sleep better than usual";

Catastrophizing: “If I don’t sleep, I’ll ruin the presentation and jeopardize my job”;
Solution: “I can go to the presentation even if I’m tired. I can still relax and rest even if I can’t sleep”;

Despair: “I will never be able to sleep properly. It's out of my control";
Solution: “Insomnia will soon disappear. As soon as I stop worrying, I can focus on doing the right things and I can overcome this illness”;

Fortune telling: “It will take me at least an hour to fall asleep at night. I know this for sure”;
Solution: “I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight. Perhaps I will be able to fall asleep quickly if I use the practices I read about”;

Remember, replacing harmful thoughts with true ones takes a lot of time and practice. You can create your own list of negative thoughts that interfere with falling asleep, and also come up with answers to them.

Using relaxation to combat insomnia

Relaxation techniques such as meditation, breathing full breasts, yoga and tai chi can help calm your mind and reduce stress. And this without the side effects of sleep medication!

These methods are in addition to the main methods of relaxation, but the effect can be quite noticeable. You can use them regularly, applying them every time before going to bed or when you wake up in the middle of the night:

Progressive relaxation of all muscles of the body. Make yourself comfortable in a lying position. You need to start with your feet - tense your muscles as hard as possible. Hold for a count of 10 and then relax. Do the exercise for all muscle groups separately, following the direction from the legs to the head. See more details -.
Diaphragmatic breathing. Many people don’t even know that breathing correctly means doing deep breaths. When we breathe deeply, it helps the body relax as much as possible. Do the exercise slowly and with your eyes closed. We exhale through the mouth and inhale through the nose.

To develop relaxation skills, you need to regularly practice these methods. The technique pays off because as a result you gain power over own body. You can use these techniques constantly.

Vicious circle of insomnia

Poor sleep usually leads to stress and gives birth to anxious thoughts about the impossibility of sleep. This in turn leads to constant tension and the negative habit of falling asleep with the help of sleeping pills or alcohol, and also develops the habit of dozing during the day in order to make up for lost sleep time at night. This leads to further worsening of the insomnia problem. This is the so-called " vicious circle insomnia."

Techniques for dealing with negative thoughts that interfere with falling asleep, as well as relaxation exercises, are the main components of the so-called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the effective areas of modern psychotherapy. CBT focuses on not only creating positive habits, but also promoting changes in thoughts and attitudes towards sleep, which can also help relieve insomnia, reduce stress and stop the vicious cycle of insomnia.

At the same time, psychotherapy can be much safer and more effective in combating rest disorders than sleeping pills. However, it is not instantaneous. medicine, as it requires time and consistency.

Your condition may even get worse at first, especially if your therapist recommends sleep restriction therapy, which requires you to reduce the amount of rest you get.

Insomnia - you need to fight it correctly (about sedatives and sleeping pills)

If you can’t sleep at night, the simplest thing you can do is take a sleeping pill, but this is not a solution, since the medicine will not eliminate the cause of insomnia, and in some cases will only worsen the problem. In any case, before taking any measures, it is important to consult a doctor in this matter.

There are many different dietary and herbal supplements available to promote sleep. Some of them like herbal teas from chamomile and lemon balm, are harmless in most cases, while others can have a lot of side effects.

They may not work for everyone, but the two most popular supplements are:

Melatonin is a hormone that naturally synthesized in the human body at night. Experience shows that this supplement can be effective when used for short periods of time to correct the “internal clock,” for example, when traveling. However, side effects may occur, one of them being drowsiness the next day.
Valerian is a mildly sedative herb that can help promote better sleep. However, the quality of valerian supplements varies significantly.

Over-the-counter sleeping pills

The main component of such medications is often an antihistamine; as a rule, it is taken in cases of allergies, hay fever and at cold symptoms. Therefore, it is not recommended to use these drugs for a long period of time. In most cases, sleep experts oppose the use of sleeping pills, even questioning their effectiveness due to a number of side effects and a lack of safety information.

While an insomnia medication may provide temporary relief when sleep occurs, it is still best to use the drug only as a last resort and only in limited quantities. First, try changing your daily routine, your habits, and your attitude towards sleep. Experience shows that changing a person’s lifestyle and behavior gives the best and lasting effect in the fight against insomnia.

When should you seek professional treatment for insomnia?

If you've already tried the above-mentioned insomnia remedies and methods on your own and are still having trouble falling asleep, you need a psychologist or other sleep specialist who can help you. Refer to professional help necessary in the following cases.

Published: March 6, 2013 Created: March 6, 2013

Sleep disorders are quite widespread phenomena. Between 8 and 15% of the world's adult population report frequent or persistent complaints of poor or insufficient sleep, between 9 and 11% of adults use sedative-hypnotics, and this percentage is significantly higher among older people. Sleep disorders can develop at any age. Some of them are more common in certain age groups, such as bedwetting, night terrors and somnambulism in children and adolescents, and insomnia or pathological sleepiness in middle-aged and older people. A neurologist, chief physician, Ph.D. will tell us about sleep disorders. Slynko Anna Alekseevna.

– Anna Alekseevna, tell our readers why our body needs such an important component of life as sleep?

– Sleep is one of the most important components of human life. During sleep, wakefulness is inhibited with the switching off of consciousness and active work the unconscious, the activity of certain (somnogenic) systems of the brain and the entire organism as a whole. Processing and integration occurs during sleep mental activity human, active restoration of the structure and function of the body. And this part of our life is no less important than waking, and perhaps the most important, during which self-healing, healing, and mental “reboot” occur. It’s not for nothing that they say: “The morning is wiser than the evening.” Because during sleep, active processing of information occurs. Not only the conscious and unconscious take part in decision-making, but also the knowledge and experience of our ancestors, which are encrypted in our genetic material. Some believe that spending one third of your life in a dream is too much, and therefore they rush to live, cutting down on sleep time, grossly disrupting the sleep cycle (sleep during the day, stay awake at night, go to bed late). Such disrespect for sleep takes a toll on the body. It is known that this reduces resistance to infections, the immune system is impaired, and the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases, mental disorders, adaptation to stress decreases, etc. It was noticed that centenarians sleep a lot, that is a large number of Their body rewards the time spent in sleep with long, healthy wakefulness. However, it is known that the need for sleep decreases with age, and older people sleep less. But isn't this a prognostic sign of health?

– Anna Alekseevna, is there a difference in the way we sleep?

- Counts normal sleep from 6 to 9 hours a day for an adult. But everyone's need for sleep is different. It is important to go to bed so that you can wake up on your own in the morning without coercion or discomfort and not feel drowsy during the day. It is very important to fall asleep at the same time. In this regard, time zone shifts, the transition to summer-winter time, and working at night are unfavorable for health. It is very important to fall asleep before 23.00. It has been observed that sleep between 11:00 pm and 1:00 am is very important for the body. At this time, the greatest regenerative activity of the body occurs. This is consistent with the knowledge of traditional medicine. During this period, the energetic “power” of the heart is at a minimum, so it is best to sleep at this time. But not only the total duration of sleep matters, the structure of sleep is important, when the correct duration and sequence of sleep stages occurs. It is known that the structure of sleep changes in various diseases. Medical influence on sleep phases changes the course of some diseases (for example, depression). Sleep is a heterogeneous state; during sleep, a natural alternation of phases occurs. The slow-wave sleep phase makes up 75-80% of sleep (divided into naps, light sleep, moderate sleep, deep dream), during this phase of sleep, recovery processes and optimization of the control of internal organs occur. There is also a phase REM sleep or rapid eye movement phase. In the REM sleep phase, the electroencephalographic picture resembles wakefulness, although the person is motionless and the muscles are maximally relaxed, during this phase he dreams. Total duration all phases, that is, the cycle, are about 90 minutes. During the entire sleep period, 4-6 cycles occur.

Insomnia or insomnia

Insomnia or insomnia– a subjective symptom characterizing dissatisfaction with sleep, lack of vigor after sleep. If this dissatisfaction with sleep occurs within one week - it is episodic insomnia, up to 3 weeks - short-term, more than 3 weeks - chronic insomnia. In laboratory mice without sleep, a change in consciousness occurs after three days, after a week coma and death. A person also cannot live without sleep, just as he cannot live without food, drink, and air. Therefore, people who say that they do not sleep at all are mistaken. They sleep, but their sleep is intermittent, short, incomplete and there is no feeling of sleep and vigor after it.

– What types of sleep disorders exist?

– More than 54 various diseases nervous system, psyche and internal diseases are manifested by sleep disturbances.

Sleep disorders: dyssomnias, presomnia disorders, intrasomnias, postsomnia disorders, parasomnias, pathological parasomnias, hypersomnias

Sleep disorders can be divided into:

Dissomnias –

difficulty falling asleep, maintaining sleep, excessive sleepiness, feeling of lack of rest after sleep.

Presomnia disorders -

difficulty falling asleep (inability to fall asleep for 2 or more hours)

Intrasomnia –

shortening of sleep, frequent awakenings, shallow sleep, early awakening.

Post-somnia disorders –

lack of feeling of rest after sleep, lack of physical vigor, feeling of “being overwhelmed”, asthenia.

Parasomnias –

motor and psychic phenomena that accompany sleep. These are shudders, changes in body position, which are physiological. AND pathological parasomnias– excessive, restless movements during sleep, sleep-talking, sleepwalking. There may also be frightening dreams, nightmares, disturbances in the rhythm and depth of breathing, night snoring, apnea (long pause in the breathing cycle).

Hypersomnias –

pathological daytime sleepiness. Most often, daytime sleepiness and inappropriate falling asleep during the day are caused by obstructive apnea. That is, during sleep there is an overlap respiratory tract and the patient wakes up from lack of air. This occurs especially often in obese people, with big belly sleeping on their backs, when the lungs are supported by the organs located below the diaphragm. In this situation, it is advisable to reduce weight, sleep on your side, on a higher pillow. Daytime falling asleep is extremely dangerous for people involved in driving and other dangerous activities.

– How to assess the quality of sleep?

– Doctor who studies sleep - somnologist, analyzes sleep using polysomnography. This is a diagnostic method that includes simultaneous registration of electroencephalography, ECG, electromyography, audio monitoring of snoring, analysis of body movements, legs, breathing movements, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, etc. Polysomnography data allows you to assess the duration of sleep, the number of awakenings, the distribution of sleep stages, breathing and heart rhythm disturbances, abnormal movements and establish the nature of parasomnias. However, not every patient with insomnia is able to study their sleep so carefully. Therefore, a therapist or a neurologist or a psychiatrist often helps to figure this out.

– Anna Alekseevna, tell us about the reasons for sleep disturbances?

– The causes of sleep disturbances are varied and divided into three groups.

Internal reasons– sleep apnea syndrome, periodic limb movements, restless legs syndrome, etc.
External reasons– psycho-emotional tension, anxiety and stress, pain syndromes, inadequate use medicines, including sleeping pills, poor sleep hygiene, taking psychostimulants, alcohol, excessive smoking, violation drinking regime (frequent urge for urination at night), etc.
Circadian disorders– jet lag, syndrome premature phase sleep, disorders caused by shifting daily or night work etc. Of course, in first place among all the factors leading to sleep disturbance, especially in healthy people, are emotional stress, mental and physical fatigue, mental fatigue. Especially in people with asthenoneurotic personality traits, states of anxiety, asthenia, melancholy or depression, apathy, and depressed mood are common. This is called psychophysiological insomnia. Often such people try to help themselves and take it in the morning. tonics, In the evening sedatives or hypnotics. Over time, such self-medication depletes the body’s adaptive and restorative forces, which not only does not restore sleep, but also does not give a feeling of rest and promotes development. psychosomatic diseases. The first to suffer is the organ system that is subjected to the greatest load or there is an innate predisposition or weakness of this organ system. At first, organ function is impaired, when everything is still reversible. Then the disease already disrupts the structure of the organ.

- Anna Alekseevna, give me a few useful tips on treating sleep disorders for our readers!

– What are the steps to treat psychophysiological insomnia.

Treatment of psychophysiological insomnia (insomnia)

– Thank you for the interesting conversation, Anna Alekseevna! I hope every reader takes something useful from your story!

The conversation with Anna Alekseevna Slynko (neurologist, chief physician, candidate of medical sciences) was conducted by Margarita Kucheruk

Sleep is one of the most important vital functions of the body. A person spends approximately a quarter of his entire life in this state of rest. Good dream is able to restore strength, increase performance, improve mood and have a positive effect on appearance. This article will tell you what the possible causes of poor sleep may be. You will also find out what you need to do to combat them. It is worth mentioning separately why a newborn has poor sleep (reasons).

Sleep disturbance

What is it? Most often, violations of this condition are caused by banal insomnia. A person simply cannot fall asleep for a long time. Because of this, his rest time is reduced and, as a result, various problems begin.

It is worth noting that insomnia currently affects more than 50 percent of the world's population. Moreover, some of the represented group are children. Let's try to figure out what the causes of poor sleep are.

Impact of external factors

The reasons for poor sleep in adults and young children may lie in uncomfortable this state environment. So, the noise of the TV or the hum of the night avenue outside the window may interfere with falling asleep. In addition, there may be bright or uncomfortable light in the room, children screaming, or extraneous sounds from neighbors. All this is irritating factor. Only a very tired person can sleep peacefully in this environment.

To eliminate these causes of poor sleep, you simply need to disconnect from the outside world. If you can’t change the situation, then change your attitude towards it. Wear protective clothing and insert special earplugs into your ears.

Stressful situations

The reasons for poor sleep may lie in your head. If something is not going well at work or in the family, then a person can spend hours scrolling through his problem before going to bed. Because of this, the brain cannot concentrate and calm the excited nervous system.

Solving this problem is quite simple. You just need to stop thinking before going to bed. When you go to bed, imagine something good and very pleasant. Most likely, you will be able to fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

Violation of the regime

Poor sleep can occur due to changes in routine or time zones. So, if you are used to always going to bed at 22 o’clock, but for some reason you start doing it at 20 o’clock, then the consequence may be temporary insomnia.

Dealing with this reason is quite simple. If you are going to change your routine, then you should do it gradually, shifting your sleep by 10 minutes every day.

and poor nutrition

Poor sleep can be caused by alcohol and smoking. What can we say about taking drugs? Many people believe that alcoholic drinks help you relax and immerse yourself in a state of peace. However, this is a misconception. Tobacco and alcohol-containing components, entering the human body, first narrow the blood vessels, and then expand them sharply and for a long time. As a result, you become excited, and you cannot fall asleep for a long time.

Poor sleep can also be caused poor nutrition. If you eat heavy food during dinner, it is difficult for your body to adjust to the diet. Try to take your last portion of food no later than three hours before bedtime. Also give up alcohol and tobacco.

Bad feeling

Poor sleep may be caused by poor health. Often a person cannot enter the world of Morpheus because of a banal headache. If you have a cold, then you should start treatment as early as possible and get rid of temporary insomnia.

In preschool and school age Lack of sleep or anxiety is often caused by ear pain. You should not scold your child for not being able to sleep. Ask what causes him discomfort and try to eliminate this reason.

Poor sleep in a child: reasons

Young children may become restless during sleep for several reasons. If we are talking about a newborn baby, then such a child is not yet ready to sleep all night long. He will definitely wake up to fill his small stomach with nourishing milk. This is a feature of the child’s development and is not accepted as a pathology.

Children between the ages of one and five often have trouble sleeping. This happens due to improper sleep. If you rock your baby in your arms, he wakes up and is anxious about the state of being in the crib. In this case, you need to eliminate the cause slowly but surely. Teach your baby to fall asleep on his own.

Poor sleep in children can also be caused by indigestion and tummy pain. Often this pathology manifests itself in babies in the first three months of life. It is worth noting that every child goes through this and there is no need to sound the alarm ahead of time. Just help your baby and wait patiently.

Conclusion

Now you know the main reasons for poor sleep. If after all the advice you have followed, your condition has not improved, then it makes sense to visit a neurologist. The doctor will find out why your poor sleep is bothering you (reasons). Treatment is most often prescribed in the form of sedatives and herbal teas. If you have problems falling asleep small child, then additional research may be necessary.

Remember that lack of normal rest can cause the development of many chronic diseases. Sleep well and be healthy!