Inability to fall asleep may be a sign of "anxiety", early awakening may be a sign of "depression"
Stress and illnesses, along with the intensity of daily life, can lead to sleep problems. Insomnia, even if experienced for a short time, can become chronic in the future. Pointing out that not being able to fall asleep is a problem seen in "anxiety" and waking up early is a problem seen in "depression", experts point out the importance of professional support. Experts also give important advice for sleep hygiene.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Neurology Specialist Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Kuzu said that sleep problems, which are common in society, affect the quality of life of the person and cause some problems.
Stating that the causes of chronic insomnia can be psychiatric diseases, organic diseases or medications, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Kuzu said, "Restless leg syndrome, periodic leg movements during sleep, sleep apnea syndrome and parasomnias, which are common causes of insomnia in the society, can be detected by polysomnographic examination in sleep laboratories. Neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia or Parkinson's disease; psychiatric diseases such as psychoses, affective disorders, anxiety disorder, panic disorder and alcoholism may cause insomnia."
Insomnia can appear in different ways
Stating that insomnia can be defined as a decrease in the duration of sleep that the person is used to and that rests him/her, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Kuzu explained that insomnia can appear in various ways: "Insomnia can appear in three ways. The first is prolonged falling asleep or not being able to fall asleep, the second is waking up after a while after falling asleep and then having difficulty falling asleep again, that is, difficulty in maintaining sleep, and the third is waking up early in the morning and not being able to fall asleep again when there is no problem in falling asleep or maintaining sleep."
Inability to fall asleep is a source of anxiety and restlessness
Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Kuzu emphasized that the most common form of insomnia occurs in the form of difficulty falling asleep. Stating that the transition time to a normal and healthy sleep varies between 8 and 30 minutes, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Kuzu said, "If a person falls asleep in less than 8 minutes, it is considered a shortening in sleep latency, and if it takes longer than 30 minutes, it is considered a prolongation in sleep latency. When there is insomnia, there is a prolongation in sleep latency. Inability to fall asleep is an important source of worry, anxiety and restlessness. The patient conditions himself as 'I will not be able to sleep again when I go to bed' and cannot fall asleep when he goes to bed; however, he may fall asleep while watching television."
Beware if you wake up early in the morning!
"The sleep of patients who wake up at night and then have trouble falling asleep is very superficial. They can wake up affected by the slightest noises, even by their spouse's turning over in bed. After waking up, they have difficulty falling asleep." Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Kuzu said that another form of insomnia, waking up early in the morning and not being able to fall asleep again, is a form of insomnia seen mostly in depression and that these people wake up early in the morning with an inner distress that they cannot define.
Listen to these suggestions for a quality sleep
Emphasizing that it is necessary to pay attention to the hours and duration of sleep in order to have a good and restful sleep, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Kuzu said:
"Not everyone has the same restful sleep duration. While five hours of sleep is enough for some people, 10 hours of sleep may be enough for others. For the majority of people, sleeping for 7-8 hours is enough for them to wake up fresh and rested in the morning. Sleeping hours also vary from person to person. Some people go to bed early and wake up early (chicken sleep), while others go to bed late and wake up late (owl sleep). Therefore, we should adjust our sleeping hours according to our own personal characteristics. We should not go to bed before we feel sleepy.
Delaying waking up in the morning makes it harder to fall asleep the next night. It is very important that people who have trouble falling asleep do not delay their morning wake-up time. Daytime sleeping, another habit that can cause difficulty falling asleep at night, should also be avoided.
Daily exercise should not be neglected
In order to avoid insomnia, exercise should be added to your daily routine. During exercise, ATP, which is the energy source, breaks down, releasing a substance called adenosine, which binds to adenosine receptors in the brain and makes us sleepy. The sleep-inducing effect of coffee (caffeine) occurs by preventing adenosine from binding to its receptors. Exercises should be avoided close to bedtime. Because this time it can activate the autonomic nervous system in the body and induce sleep with the opposite effect.
Alcohol reduces deep sleep
Avoid eating heavy meals in the evening and drinking excessive fluids at night. Excessive fluid intake may cause the need to urinate at night and disrupt sleep. Drinking alcohol before going to sleep may make it easier to fall asleep, but it may impair sleep quality and cause frequent and early awakenings. Alcohol increases superficial sleep and decreases deep sleep. Avoid excessive consumption of substances that stimulate the nervous system such as tea, coffee and acidic drinks in the evening.
Lower the bedroom temperature
Lower body temperature makes it easier to fall asleep and increases deep sleep. For this reason, the temperature in bedrooms should be lower than in other rooms.
In addition, taking a warm shower before sleep will contribute to lowering body temperature. Since the release of melatonin, which is considered the most important hormone that initiates sleep, starts in the dark, reducing the lights close to sleep will make it easier for us to fall asleep.
Periodic renewal of the mattresses and pillows we sleep on will also make positive contributions to sleep quality."