Hot weather disrupts sleep patterns
Factors such as going to bed late in the summer, heat and unbalanced nutrition affect sleep patterns. Experts point out that there may be many reasons for the inability to sleep and emphasize that nutrition and exercise are essential to ensure sleep patterns in the summer months.
These days, when we are in the middle of summer, when the weather is the hottest and the humidity level is at high levels, we encounter sleep problems in almost every age group.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Neurology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin stated that sleep disorders are divided into two as sleeping too much and not sleeping at all, and that the condition of sleeping too much develops due to sleep breathing disorders.
Hot weather affects sleep patterns on summer nights
Stating that hot weather makes it difficult to transition to sleep, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin noted that the main reason for this situation is the inability to fall asleep due to heat and sweating. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin; "Inability to sleep may be due to psychological problems, as well as physiological causes such as restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea. Especially those living in hot regions may not sleep comfortably due to the weather. They may wait until late at night to fall asleep. On the other hand, if sleep cannot be taken sufficiently, daytime sleepiness may occur."
Take a "siesta" against daytime intensity
Stating that our body is programmed to sleep at a certain time at night, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin; "Falling asleep may become difficult due to the heat. If we go to bed late at night, we may wake up in the morning not fully asleep. This can cause daytime fatigue. If we go to bed late at night due to the heat, a "siesta" sleep that does not exceed one hour at noon prevents fatigue that may occur in the afternoon. However, it is important to make sure that this sleep is taken at noon and does not exceed one hour. If you have a long and late afternoon nap, it may be impossible for you to fall asleep at night."
Necessary conditions for a good sleep
Emphasizing that the room where we will sleep should be sufficiently ventilated for a good sleep, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin made the following suggestions for a comfortable sleep:
- If there is sweating when you go to bed, the temperature of the room is too high and should be adjusted. The temperature of the room where we will sleep at night must be reduced to a temperature that will not sweat by ventilation and similar methods.
- Air conditioners are used at night in many regions. If air conditioning must be used, we recommend that it is not used all night, but only in the first half of the night. Using air conditioning all night can often cause muscle and joint stiffness and respiratory problems due to dry airways. Sleeping under air conditioning all night often leads to waking up without full rest.
- Nutrition and exercise are directly related to sleep. Especially the evening meal has a great effect on sleep. We recommend eating light meals in the evening and not eating anything other than light snacks such as fruit and yogurt after dinner. Consuming very heavy foods at night will disrupt sleep. It is recommended to go to bed with an empty stomach as much as possible. In addition, drinking alcohol close to sleep also reduces the quality of sleep.
Beware if you are constantly experiencing sleep interruptions!
Emphasizing that there may be different reasons for this situation if sleep is constantly interrupted, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin; "Especially sleep breathing problems, namely sleep apnea, can cause awakening after a certain period of time. The risk of sleep apnea should be investigated in people who experience sleep interruption. In addition to sleep apnea, leg beats during sleep can also wake the person up and cause sleep interruption. Finally, psychiatric disorders and depression can also cause sleep disturbance. The causes of sleep disturbance are very diverse. Especially snoring, waking up breathless at night, respiratory arrest at night, daytime sleepiness, leg movements at night, restlessness in the legs in the evening and the desire to move them, the presence of obesity and hypertension together with sleep disturbance suggest that sleep disturbance is due to a disease that needs to be treated rather than a temporary condition. It is absolutely necessary to see a specialist," he warned.
Sleep disorders can be treated
Stating that there are many different treatments for sleep disorders, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin; "Respiratory disorders are usually treated with positive pressure devices used during sleep. Drug treatments are used for restless legs syndrome. Although drug treatments are also used in inability to fall asleep, we generally prefer treatment with behavioral psychotherapy methods. Regulations such as paying attention to the rules we call sleep hygiene, going to bed and getting up at certain times usually solve the problem of not falling asleep. In disorders of falling and maintaining sleep due to a psychiatric illness, sleeping medications can be used for periods deemed appropriate by the physician."
