Get refreshing sleep

A familiar situation: the third hour of the night, and sleep in one eye. Fragments of daytime thoughts are spinning in my head, which I want to sweep into a scoop and throw it away. Finally, you start to doze, but it wasn’t there: a cat, an elevator, a car alarm … And tomorrow there will be a cast-iron head and a whole day – dreams of a pillow, a bed and a desired dream. But the more a person wants to fall asleep, the worse it turns out. And the less he sleeps, the stronger the tension, therefore, the weaker the ability to fall asleep.

Why are sleep disorders so unbearable? And why sleep at all? After all, so many useful things can be done in those “mandatory” eight hours …

What does the brain do while we sleep

In general, all warm-blooded animals sleep: as in a lullaby – from “mice behind the stove” to “birds in the garden.” As for the fish in the pond, there is no clarity. Although, according to some reports, lizards, snakes, and even fruit flies sleep. It used to be thought that sleep was just rest for a tired brain. However, it turned out that the metabolism in the brain during sleep decreases only by 10–15%, so, in fact, there is no question of real rest.

During sleep, the brain works, but not in the same way as during wakefulness. Research has shown that sleep consists of several phases. In the phase of non-REM sleep, the heart rate and breathing slow down, muscle tone and body temperature decrease. At this time, the synthesis of protein substances and hormones occurs, and the processes of tissue regeneration are accelerated. Therefore, the statement that “a person grows in a dream” and that “a scratch will heal until morning” is completely true.

After 20-30 minutes of deep sleep, the brain seems to wake up (the encephalogram of this phase is similar to the wakefulness phase): the eyes begin to move quickly from side to side – a person sees dreams, spectacular and emotional. “REM sleep” is considered the time of processing the information received during wakefulness and the development of new behavior programs. The phases of non-REM and REM sleep make up one cycle, and during the night there are from four to six.

Why can’t we sleep

Our ancestors, who got up with roosters and went to bed at sunset, learned less information in a lifetime than we are forced to “swallow” in a year, suffered much less from insomnia. The subtle natural mechanism that ensures the change of sleep and wakefulness is being destroyed by the modern way of life, its frantic rhythm and abundance of impressions. A variety of things can deprive you of sleep: falling in love and breaking up with a loved one, troubles at work and mental overwork, magnetic storms and phases of the moon.

“Our patients have an average of two years of insomnia or more,” says somnologist Sergey Stebletsov. – In 80% of cases, the cause is stress, depression and neurosis. The remaining 20% ​​is accounted for by organic pathology.” These can be both respiratory disorders, including banal nasal congestion, and diseases of internal organs, pathology of the brain. The main complaint of those who come to a neurologist (if you are not lucky enough to find a specialist dealing with sleep problems, that is, a somnologist): “Doctor, I don’t sleep well.”

An insomnia-weary person eventually becomes afraid of the bed, confident that as soon as he touches his head to the pillow, the desire to sleep will disappear. The drowsiness is interrupted by the slightest sound, and sometimes falling asleep lasts up to two or three hours. Another option is frequent nighttime awakenings, after which it is impossible to fall asleep for a long time. Sleep seems superficial and shallow, and in the morning a person feels overwhelmed and sleepy, he is overcome by a desire to quit everything, hide in a quiet corner and fall asleep at last.

How to treat insomnia

“Practically everyone who comes to us has tried alcohol as a sleeping pill,” says Sergey Stebletsov. “A bottle or two of beer before bed is really relaxing because it contains hops. It is a mild sleeping pill that prepares the body for sleep. Sooner or later, alcohol addiction is formed, which is accompanied by an increase in pressure and malfunctions of the heart. But herbs – the same hops, lemon balm, valerian, motherwort – reduce the excitation of the nervous system and help well in the first stage of insomnia. Honey works the same way.

When these “light” remedies do not help, when sleep disturbances unsettle a person and do not allow them to live and work (and for many today these are synonyms), one has to resort to sleeping pills of a new generation – ivadalu and imovan.

“These are powerful drugs, but they do not disrupt the physiology of the brain. They prepare him for sleep, put him into a state of falling asleep. But barbiturates, which until recently were used as the most powerful sleeping pills, simply “stun” the brain, affecting subcortical rhythms and causing addiction,” says Sergey Stebletsov. Unfortunately, drugs relieve only a symptom – sleep disturbance – and then only for a while. And you need to look for the root cause of insomnia together with a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Poor sleep as an indicator of serious problems

If you conduct a survey among those who turn to a psychotherapist for help, it turns out that everyone, without exception, experiences certain difficulties with sleep, regardless of what problems led to a specialist. Sleep is the very first thing that any mental anxieties leave an imprint on. According to psychotherapist Viktor Makarov, “insomnia is a symptom of mental distress and at the same time an important defense mechanism. So the body signals a problem and requires its solution.

Viktor Makarov believes that sleep disorders are indispensable companions of depression. Moreover, sleep problems can arise when depression is at a very early stage and is practically not expressed by anything yet – this is a kind of first call. And in neurotic states with increased anxiety, insomnia is a mandatory component. In order to get rid of it, you will need to work with a psychotherapist.

Alternative ways to deal with depression

Somnologists recommend various methods from alternative medicine to combat insomnia. For example, acupuncture. “My medical practice shows that needles have a very good effect,” says Sergey Stebletsov.

“In traditional Chinese medicine, it is generally accepted that the cause of insomnia lies not in the work of the central nervous system, but is connected with the heart,” comments acupuncturist Yuri Davolov. “According to this idea, stress affects the functioning of the liver, which, in turn, causes a rush of blood to the head and heart. Or, as the ancient Chinese treatise says, “the liver presses on the heart, and its spirit becomes confused.” According to Yuri Davolov, a lasting effect in overcoming insomnia is achieved precisely by normalizing the functions of internal organs “injured” by stress.

One of the very effective means in the initial stage of insomnia, according to Sergey Stebletsov, is aromatherapy. “The universal “sleepy” smell is lavender,” says aromatherapist Elena Aksenova. “Almost as often used are ylang-ylang, jasmine, lemon balm and mint, chamomile and eucalyptus.” You can put one or two drops of a mixture of these oils on a cotton swab and put it at the head of the bed. But if we are talking about insomnia that lasts for many weeks, it is better to contact an aromatherapist for individual advice.

“Aroma massage helps to get out of depression and, as a result, normalize sleep,” says Elena Aksenova. “For successful therapy, only two conditions are needed: high-quality oils and a qualified specialist.”

lure sleep

To overcome difficulty falling asleep, you can invent your own “sleep ritual.” Psychotherapist Viktor Makarov says: “This is especially helpful for women – they need to build a cozy nest in order to feel protected.” The first step is to take a walk before bed. Or at least ventilate the bedroom well, stand for half an hour at the open window. Drink a cup of soothing herbal tea with honey.

It is generally accepted that a bath relaxes, and a shower rather tones up, but in practice it turns out that individual preferences are much more important. “Someone is perfectly helped by a warm shower, a bath with aromatic oils, and for someone – cool dousing of the legs,” says Viktor Makarov. – The main thing when you go to bed is not to strain, imagining the consequences of lack of sleep. Often it is the neurotic “fear of insomnia” that does not allow you to fall asleep, a vicious circle is formed that is very difficult to break.

To relax, you can choose any meditative technique: the point is to take the most comfortable position of the body and, by concentrating on your own breathing, “calm the brain”, expel daytime thoughts from your head, preventing them from maintaining nervous excitement.

If thoughts return to some problem, you can try to write down what worries you, write down possible solutions to the issue next to it in a column, that is, “displace” the sore from your head onto paper. If you still can’t fall asleep, it’s better to read or do some kind of monotonous work, such as ironing clothes. And lie down again as soon as the desire to sleep appears. If you still can’t get enough sleep, you can take a little rest during the day.

“Siesta is a brilliant invention of man,” says Sergey Stebletsov. “A half-hour rest in the afternoon will refresh and relax as much as a good night’s sleep.” But the intention to “sleep off on the weekend” does more harm than good: long sleep disrupts the natural biorhythms that daylight hours dictate to us, and can exacerbate sleep problems. It is better to go to the park and get some fresh air “in reserve”. And go to bed early in the evening.