A modern citizen needs to maintain sleep hygiene, otherwise, he is at risk of severe insomnia. But from a simple lack of sleep can save a short day's sleep.
HOW TO SLEEP PROPERLY?
Rules of sleep hygiene are formulated quite clearly: they can be found on many sites, such as the site of World Sleep Day.
"The basic rule is in compliance with the regime. It is desirable that you lie down at the same time, which would be different on working days and weekends. Relaxation techniques are also important. This means that two or three hours before bedtime you need to reduce the light in the room, stop physical activity (although they are useful during the day). You should not eat too much at night, or go to bed with an acute sense of hunger," says Alexander Melnikov, a doubter and head of the Department of Doubtology at the Federal Research and Clinical Center for Otorhinolaryngology.
It is also important to observe the so-called bedroom hygiene. The room should have a slightly cool temperature of about 15-19 degrees Celsius, optimal humidity (not lower than 30%), silence and comfortable bedding for you. That is those pillows, blankets and bed linen, which are convenient for you.
Melnikov adds that it is important to strictly observe the functionality of the bed - except for sleeping in bed, only sex is allowed. It is not necessary to clarify the relationship in the bedroom or turn the bed into a study. "Hygiene is very important - but it's the only way to get out of prolonged insomnia," explains Melnikov.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE NOT SLEEPING WELL AND YOU'RE TIRED ALL THE TIME?
There is a concept of subjective feeling of bad sleep - for example, a person has too bright dreams, and after them, he feels broken. This is a reason to see a psychotherapist. When a person with frightening dreams goes to a doctor, he or she cannot remove these dreams, but he or she can reduce their significance and traumatization for the patient.
Deep sleep disturbances are another matter. When a person has a lot of superficial and little deep sleep, it is often a sign of impaired sleep breathing. Snoring is almost always a sign of such disorders - and snoring is loud and regular. Episodic snoring associated with special cases (excessive consumption of alcohol or colds) is normal.
But people with severe apnea (respiratory arrest during sleep) are becoming more micro-awakened and awake, and the quality of sleep suffers significantly. "This has a very strong effect on health - on the regulation of blood pressure, on the state of internal organs. At the same time, most people do not even know about it and are not treated," says Melnikov.
The good news is that apnea is treatable. The therapy depends on the individual characteristics and the degree of apnea. For example, surgical methods are used if a person has adenoids or nasal septum curvature. Position therapy involves changing the position in which a person sleeps - for example, if the airway blockage occurs only on the back, changing the posture can solve the problem. Intra-oral devices are, for example, mouth guards that keep the lower jaw in the right position. They are more often used in milder forms. SiPAP devices that artificially ventilate the lungs are suitable for severe illness. It sounds threatening, but in fact, it is a mask with a tube in which a person sleeps. When breathing disorders are eliminated, the quality and depth of sleep are fully restored.
IS A DAY'S SLEEP USEFUL?
Daytime sleep is not recommended for people with insomnia, because it prevents them from falling asleep at night. A day's sleep is useful if a person does not sleep at night. But if you sleep enough at night, but still prefer to take a nap during the day, there is nothing wrong with it. The main rule is a short duration of such sleep. Melnikov explains: "A day's sleep should not exceed 40 minutes and should not be accompanied by drowsiness after 20 minutes from the moment of waking up. If the sleep is short, we do not sink into deep stages and therefore wake up quickly and easily.