It seems that sleeping would be the easiest, most comfortable act any living being could perform. But the truth is, even sleep is not without its complications. From insomnia to narcolepsy, people are having trouble catching those z’s, either altogether, or at the right time and right place. So what’s going on here? Do we just need to count more sheep than before?
Keeping your body energized with sleep is just as important as eating nutritious food. Sleep is a biological need, in that it is a necessity for a normal, functioning immune system and healthy brain function and motor skills. But sleep is also one of the most poorly understood functions of the human body, as it involves complicated brain processes that not even top-notch scientists can fully grasp. The brain does not go to sleep when the body does – it is engaged in lots of activity, activity that is often elusive to experts.
Surprisingly, about 13% of Americans suffer from a sleep disorder – and that doesn’t include the 20 million Americans who only occasionally have sleep problems. Another surprising number is the number of sleep disorders that exist: there are 70 in total. Fortunately, they are organized into three simple, “sleep problem” categories: not getting enough sleep, getting too much sleep, and sleeping enough, but not getting quality sleep.
If you’ve had a sleep disorder, it was most likely insomnia, in which you had trouble sleeping. Especially if you are a woman or an elderly person, insomnia might have plagued you during at least one point in your life. Perhaps it’s keeping you up at night right now, prompting you to read this article!
Considering how vital sleep is to a person’s health and development, it is curious that people neglect it as much as they do. College students frequently pull all-nighters to study for exams, workers wake up bright and early to take their kids to school and stay up late at the office. Thankfully, sleep disorders are not difficult to treat. The caveat here is that they must be diagnosed first and too often, people don’t take their sleep problems seriously.
So what are some examples of some common sleep disorders and what can you do to remedy them? Some problems, like insomnia, may be a direct cause of one’s behavior and environment. Simply cutting down on the caffeine you drink can make it all the more easier to fall asleep at night. As well, many medications, especially antidepressants, can disrupt your sleep patterns. And of course – drugs and alcohol have a very significant impact on the quality of your sleep.
However, beyond these factors, there are many complicated issues that could be going on in your brain and your body. In order to understand them, one must understand what sleep actually is. And there is not just one kind of sleep – there are five stages of sleep, stages that you should experience continually throughout the nighttime. You will spend most of your time in stage 2 and then during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage. Most people complete the cycle – stage 1 to stage 5 – in about an hour and a half. So those cat naps can be helpful, but you’re not getting a full dose of sleep in them! REM sleep is when you experience dreams and stage 4 sleep is when you are most likely to sleepwalk or talk in your sleep!
Now, let’s discuss three well-known sleep disorders. As mentioned before, insomnia is not a stranger to most people. While insomnia makes it hard for a person to fall asleep, one suffering from insomnia will still feel exhausted, and thus anxious, throughout the day. Insomnia adversely affects one’s day-to-day activities as a result. Insomnia is one of the easiest sleep disorders to treat; in most cases, it’s the result of diet or life stresses, which are in one’s control. In some cases, however, it can be a symptom of a disease. If the causes of insomnia are not easily removable by the person, sleeping pills can be prescribed. However, they should be taken with caution and only used to cure short-term insomnia, not long-term. They have addictive qualities.
Narcolepsy is one of the stranger sleep disorders out there. It is typically passed onto a person through genetics. Essentially, a narcoleptic enters REM sleep unexpectedly without ever experiencing the first stages of sleep. They can be “attacked” by sleep in any time and place – while driving, shopping at the mall, or giving a speech. They may fall asleep for just a minute or 30 minutes. A person usually learns they are narcoleptic between the ages of 15 and 30. It is often accompanied by other neurological problems and can be most problematic when a narcoleptic is enduring lots of physical or emotional stress (like pregnancy or a change of jobs). Narcoleptics often feel drowsy throughout the day. Medications (i.e. stimulants for the day and antidepressants for the night) can help alleviate the symptoms of narcolepsy, but there is no cure just yet.
Another sleep disorder is obstructive sleep apnea. When a person’s breathing is disrupted during sleep, their sleep patterns are also disrupted. If a person has too narrow of a nasal passage or they are obese, they are at an increased risk for sleep apnea. Other risks that go along with sleep apnea include heart disease and stroke. Treatment for sleep apnea may simply be weight loss. There are also facial masks a person can wear that will secure that their breathing is fine throughout the night. Some people suffer from sleep apnea because they have enlarged tonsils or a deviated septum and in these cases, surgery might be a good bet. However, there is one treatment that is certainly not the way to go – sleeping pills, as they will prevent a person from correcting their abnormal breathing patterns throughout the night.
There are basic steps you can take to ensure you can beat your insomnia and get a good night’s rest. Get into a comfortable sleep routine; avoid ingesting caffeine and other substances like alcohol; don’t do anything too energetic (like exercise) before you hit the sack, as it will be difficult to wind down and fall asleep – instead do something relaxing like read or take a bubble bath; don’t keep your house too warm or cold; and finally, use the sun and the stars as your guide! Your body benefits when it can tune into the planet’s natural cycle of daylight and you’ll find it’s easy for you to fall asleep and wake up if you actually keep your blinds open! Also, make sure your bed is comfortable!
So, hopefully this has given you some insight into the complicated world of sleep so that you can ultimately get a good night’s rest.
Inaonekana kwamba kulala ni jambo rahisi zaidi na lenye starehe zaidi ambalo kiumbe yeyote aliye hai angeweza kufanya. Lakini ukweli ni kwamba hata usingizi hauna matatizo. Kutoka insomnia hadi narcolepsy, watu wana shida ya kukamata z <unk>s hizo, ama kwa pamoja, au kwa wakati sahihi na mahali sahihi. Kwa hiyo ni nini kinachotokea hapa? Je, tunahitaji tu kuhesabu kondoo wengi kuliko hapo awali? Kuongeza nishati kwa mwili wako ni muhimu kama vile kula chakula chenye lishe. Kulala ni mahitaji ya kibiolojia, kwa kuwa ni muhimu kwa mfumo wa kinga wa kawaida, utendaji wa afya na utendaji wa ubongo na ujuzi wa magari. Usingizi ni moja ya kazi za mwili wa binadamu ambazo hazijulikani vizuri, kwani ni mchakato wa ubongo ambao hata wanasayansi wa hali ya juu hawawezi kuelewa. Ubongo haulali wakati mwili unapolala - una shughuli nyingi, shughuli ambazo mara nyingi hazijulikani kwa wataalamu. Kwa kushangaza, karibu 13% ya Wamarekani wanateseka kutokana na matatizo ya usingizi, na hiyo haijumuishi Wamarekani milioni 20 ambao mara kwa mara tu wana matatizo ya usingizi. Kwa mfano, kuna idadi kubwa ya matatizo ya usingizi, ambayo ni zaidi ya 70. Kwa bahati nzuri, kuna aina tatu za matatizo ya usingizi: usingizi wa kutosha, usingizi wa kupita kiasi, na usingizi wa kutosha lakini usio wa ubora. Ikiwa umekuwa na tatizo la usingizi, yaelekea ulikuwa na tatizo la kukosa usingizi, ambalo lilikufanya uwe na matatizo ya kulala. Ikiwa wewe ni mwanamke au mzee, huenda ukakabiliwa na tatizo la kukosa usingizi. Labda ni jambo linalokufanya usilala usiku sasa hivi, likikuchochea kusoma makala hii! Kwa kuzingatia jinsi usingizi ulivyo muhimu kwa afya na ukuaji wa mtu, ni ajabu kwamba watu huupuuza kama wanavyofanya. Wanafunzi wa chuo kikuu mara nyingi hucheza usiku kucha ili kujifunza kwa ajili ya mitihani, wafanyakazi huamka mapema ili kuwapeleka watoto wao shuleni na kukaa hadi usiku ofisini. Kwa kushangaza, matatizo ya usingizi si magumu kutibu. Kizuizi hapa ni kwamba lazima wagunduliwe kwanza na mara nyingi sana, watu hawachukui matatizo yao ya usingizi kwa uzito. Kwa hiyo, ni nini kisababishi cha matatizo ya usingizi na jinsi ya kuyatatua? Matatizo fulani, kama vile kukosa usingizi, yaweza kuwa kisababishi cha moja kwa moja cha tabia na mazingira ya mtu. Kupunguza kiasi cha kafeini unachokunywa kunaweza kukusaidia kulala usingizi. Pia, dawa nyingi, hasa dawa za kukandamiza mshuko wa moyo, zaweza kuharibu utaratibu wako wa kulala. Na bila shaka <unk> dawa za kulevya na pombe zina athari kubwa sana kwa ubora wa usingizi wako. Hata hivyo, zaidi ya mambo haya, kuna masuala mengi magumu ambayo yanaweza kuwa yanaendelea katika ubongo wako na mwili wako. Ili kuelewa mambo hayo, ni lazima mtu aelewe usingizi ni nini hasa. Na hakuna aina moja tu ya usingizi - kuna hatua tano za usingizi, hatua ambazo unapaswa kupata daima wakati wote wa usiku. Wakati mwingi wa mwili wako utakuwa katika hatua ya pili, REM (harakati ya haraka ya jicho). Watu wengi kukamilisha mzunguko <unk> hatua 1 hadi hatua 5 <unk> katika saa moja na nusu. Kwa hiyo usingizi huo wa paka waweza kuwa wenye kusaidia, lakini huwezi kupata usingizi kamili wakati huo! REM ni hali ya usingizi ambapo unapata ndoto na hatua ya nne ni wakati ambapo unaweza kutembea usingizi au kuzungumza wakati wa usingizi. Sasa, hebu tuzungumzie matatizo matatu yanayojulikana sana ya usingizi. Kama ilivyotajwa hapo awali, watu wengi huugua usingizi. Ingawa kukosa usingizi hufanya iwe vigumu kwa mtu kulala, mtu anayekabili tatizo hilo bado atahisi uchovu na hivyo kuwa na wasiwasi siku nzima. Kwa sababu hiyo, kukosa usingizi huathiri vibaya shughuli za kila siku. Insomnia ni moja ya matatizo ya usingizi rahisi kutibu; katika kesi nyingi, ni matokeo ya lishe au maisha mkazo, ambayo ni katika moja ya udhibiti. Hata hivyo, katika visa fulani, huenda ikawa dalili ya ugonjwa. Ikiwa visababishi vya kukosa usingizi haviwezi kuondolewa kwa urahisi na mtu huyo, dawa za kulala zaweza kuagizwa. Hata hivyo, zinapaswa kutumiwa kwa tahadhari na kutumiwa tu kutibu kukosa usingizi kwa muda mfupi, si kwa muda mrefu. Wana sifa za kulevya. Narcolepsy ni moja ya matatizo ya usingizi ya ajabu huko nje. Kwa kawaida ugonjwa huo hupitishwa kwa mtu kupitia chembe za urithi. Kwa kweli, mtu mwenye ugonjwa wa kulevya huingia katika usingizi wa REM bila kutarajia bila kamwe kupata hatua za kwanza za usingizi. Wanaweza "kushambuliwa" na usingizi wakati wowote na mahali popote - wakati wa kuendesha gari, kununua vitu katika kituo cha ununuzi, au kutoa hotuba. Wanaweza kulala kwa dakika moja au dakika 30 tu. Kwa kawaida mtu hujifunza kuwa ana ugonjwa wa narcolepsy kati ya umri wa miaka 15 na 30. Mara nyingi huambatana na matatizo mengine ya neva na inaweza kuwa tatizo zaidi wakati narcoleptic ni kuvumilia mengi ya mfadhaiko wa kimwili au kihisia (kama ujauzito au mabadiliko ya kazi). Mara nyingi wagonjwa wa narcolepsy huhisi usingizi mchana kutwa. Dawa (yaani Dawa za kulevya (kama vile dawa za kulevya za mchana na dawa za kupambana na unyogovu usiku) zinaweza kusaidia kupunguza dalili za narcolepsy, lakini hakuna tiba bado. Ugonjwa mwingine wa usingizi ni ugonjwa wa kupumua usingizi usioweza kulala. Wakati kupumua kwa mtu kunapovurugwa wakati wa usingizi, mifumo yao ya usingizi pia huvurugwa. Ikiwa mtu ana njia nyembamba sana ya pua au ni mnene kupita kiasi, ana hatari kubwa ya kupatwa na apnea ya usingizi. Hatari nyingine zinazohusiana na kukosa kupumua wakati wa usingizi zinatia ndani magonjwa ya moyo na kiharusi. Matibabu ya kukosa kupumua wakati wa usingizi huenda yakawa kupoteza uzito tu. Kuna pia masks ya uso ambayo mtu anaweza kuvaa ambayo itahakikisha kwamba kupumua kwao ni vizuri usiku kucha. Watu wengi wanakabiliwa na apnea ya usingizi kwa sababu ya kupanuka kwa mandili au septum iliyobadilika, na katika kesi hizi, upasuaji unaweza kuwa chaguo zuri. Hata hivyo, kuna matibabu ambayo kwa hakika si njia ya kwenda - dawa za kulala, kama wao kuzuia mtu kutoka kurekebisha mifumo yao ya kupumua isiyo ya kawaida wakati wa usiku. Kuna hatua za msingi unaweza kuchukua ili kuhakikisha unaweza kushinda insomnia yako na kupata mapumziko mazuri ya usiku. Kupata katika kawaida ya usingizi starehe; kuepuka kula caffeine na vitu vingine kama vile pombe; si kufanya kitu chochote energetic sana (kama mazoezi) kabla ya kugonga mfuko, kama itakuwa vigumu kupotea chini na kuanguka usingizi <unk> badala ya kufanya kitu kupumzika kama kusoma au kuchukua kuoga Bubble; si kuweka nyumba yako joto sana au baridi; na hatimaye, kutumia jua na nyota kama mwongozo wako! Mwili wako unafaidika unapopata mwangaza wa mchana wa asili wa sayari na utapata ni rahisi kwako kulala na kuamka ikiwa kwa kweli utaweka madirisha yako wazi! Pia, hakikisha kwamba kitanda chako ni kitulivu! Kwa hiyo, natumaini hii imekupa ufahamu fulani katika ulimwengu tata wa usingizi ili hatimaye uweze kupata mapumziko mazuri ya usiku.