“Night walkers”: is it possible to get up at night in the toilet and for water and why

There are lucky ones who sleep so deeply that in the morning they have only one crumpled cheek, because they both went to bed and slept all night. And there are “night walkers”. They have to get up several times – then drink, then go to the toilet, then check the phone. Moreover, no desire is a true need. It was just that the dream was interrupted and this strange ritual appeared.

Psychologists and sleep doctors say that the quality of sleep is influenced not only by such obvious factors as daytime experiences and stress. Especially for the readers of Wday.ru, clinical psychologist Marianna Nekrasova explained in what cases it is necessary to see a doctor and how to overcome the habit of “walking” around the apartment at night, as well as whether it is possible to get up at night to use the toilet and why.

Clinical psychologist; a course in the rehabilitation of eating disorders – anorexia, bulimia, obesity; fairy tale therapy course

1. Waking up at night is normal, but there are conditions

There is no pathology in short-term nocturnal awakenings. Many have heard of the phases of REM and slow sleep. During the night, each person lives several cycles of phase change. During phase of slow sleep his blood pressure decreases, his heart beats more slowly, brain activity also decreases, the body relaxes. At this moment, true rest and recovery of physical strength occurs. This phase lasts approximately 90 minutes. During the phase of REM sleep, a person begins to breathe more often and deeper, can begin to move, roll over. It is during REM sleep that people dream.

Most empathetic sleep during REM sleep phases… In fact, this phase provides an easy transition from sleep to wakefulness, so that if you wake up during this period, then there will be no painful awakening.

There is a criterion by which you can determine that everything is in order with sleep and that you should not worry. If you wake up, but you can quickly and painlessly fall asleep, then everything is normal. The body may need to take a sip of water, go to the toilet, or the background noise woke you up in REM sleep. These are natural biological processes.

Is considered abnormal a situation when, after waking up, a person cannot fall asleep for 20-30 minutes or even more. This state causes anxiety and irritation in him: he tries to force himself to fall asleep, because he gets to work in three, two, one hours.

If such cases occur more than three days a week and this lasts more than three months, then this condition can be called chronic insomnia. So if your walk around the apartment is repeated every night, and after that you lie for hours staring at the ceiling, then this is a reason to see a doctor.

Waking up for no reason (noise, snoring of a partner) may indicate a short phase of deep sleep. The reasons can be different – from nutrition to diseases, including parasites.

2. Awakening at the same time is not mysticism

These mysterious 3 or 4 am. If you looked at your watch while waking up at night, it was probably that time on the screen. Now imagine that at the same time your neighbors, friends on the other side of the city, or even in another region, woke up for a short time.

Cause in melatonin. This hormone is produced in the pineal gland, its main function is precisely the regulation of sleep. Melatonin is responsible for getting us to sleep at specific times. By the morning, the production of melatonin stops, the body begins to prepare for awakening. For these reasons, people most often experience short-term awakenings after 4 in the morning.

Melatonin production depends on several factors:

• daily regime;

• the presence of light in the room;

• the use of certain foods.

3. Improper use of the bed and other causes of frequent awakenings

• With chronic insomnia, it is important to check the thyroid gland and do some general tests.

• If everything is normal, then cause can be in the head – problems at work or in the family.

• If the stress point is ruled out, then perhaps you using the bed incorrectly.

Your sleeping place should only be associated with sleep (reading and having sex do not count). Wrong reflexes associated with a bed form quickly when it is in it or watching movies. Then, lying down to sleep, you will feel hunger or insomnia because the “head” is not expecting sleep, but melodrama with pizza.

How to form correct reflexes?

• Go to bed at the same time.

• Don’t land on your bed for a late dinner, movie show, board games, or late night laptop work.

Try using a smart alarm clock that will track your movements during sleep and wake you up exactly when you are most likely to be in REM sleep.

4. Late dinner is another reason for wandering at night.

An evening snack is not only responsible for the extra centimeters in the waist, but also affects sleep. Moreover, women suffer in both cases stronger than men.

Somnologist Michael Breus, author of Always On Time, described experimentheld in Brazil in 2011. Scientists have tested how late dinner affects people. 52 subjects – healthy, nonsmoking, and non-obese people – kept a detailed food diary for several days̆ and then were observed in the laboratory during the night’s sleep.

The sleep quality of all those who ate before bed decreased. But women found it more difficult not only to fall asleep, they also woke up more often in the middle of the night.

Women who ate late snacks performed poorly in all sleep scoring categories. It took them more time to fall asleep, to achieve REM sleep, and they woke up later than those women who did not eat. The more they ate, the lower the quality of their sleep.

5. Lack of vitamin C disrupts sleep

Various diets in which we reduce the intake of certain fruits and vegetables, for example, with the keto diet, promote the transition to protein foods. If you sit too long on such a diet, then there may be a deficiency of some vitamins. One of the most important in the autumn-winter period is vitamin C. Moreover, this vitamin is very important for sleep.

“A study published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS) found that people with low blood vitamin C levels have more sleep problems and wake up more often in the middle of the night,” writes Sean Stevenson, author of Healthy Sleep and creator of the popular podcast on fitness and health.

Sources of vitamin C are both the usual citrus fruits, kiwi, bell peppers, green leafy vegetables, strawberries and papaya, as well as camu-camu berries, amla (Indian gooseberries), acerola (Barbados cherry).

6. Alcohol has a stronger effect on women’s sleep than men’s

When it comes to the relationship between alcohol and sleep, it is important to understand two things.

1. Women fall asleep faster after a party, while men struggle with the “helicopters” in their heads.

2. But the girls will still not be able to get a good night’s sleep, because their sleep is likely to be very intermittent.

There is strong evidence that drinking alcohol before bed is more unpleasant for women. Subjects were forced to drink alcohol in the name of science, according to a study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Drinks were offered to men and women in proportion to their weight so that each participant was equally drunk. It turned out that, compared to men, women woke up more often at night and after waking up could not fall asleep longer. In general, their sleep was shorter.

Alcohol has a stronger effect on women’s sleep – women absorb alcohol (and are sedated) faster than men. Drinking alcohol before bed can disrupt later stages of sleep. In some cases, it can cause sweating, anxiety, or even nightmares.

7. We endure heat at night worse than cold

The point in the dispute between those who are hot and who are always cold, put somnologists. No matter what the opponents of open windows may say, our body tolerates the cool much easier.

Thermoregulation is of paramount importance in managing sleep quality, experts say. Research shows that some types of insomnia are associated with poor “thermoregulation” and an inability to lower body temperature to move into deeper sleep phases. Our body is better able to warm itself than to cool itself, so make it easier for yourself by choosing lighter and more relaxed clothes for sleep.

When the room is too hot, or you are wrapped in brushed pajamas, your body will shorten your third and fourth stages of sleep. And these phases of deep sleep are the most important. It is at this time that we gain strength.