We sleep for one-third of our lives. Reducing sleep and investing that time in work or study was considered the secret to success, but it has already been revealed by numerous scientists that sleep is not simply wasted time.
Sleep is an important factor determining the quality of life. Everyone knows from experience that fatigue is relieved and concentration and vitality return after a good night’s sleep, even without mentioning research results. However, in modern society, from children to adults, there are quite a lot of cases where people do not get proper sleep, enough to wonder how many people always get a good night’s sleep.
Insomnia is a condition in which there are recurrent problems with the initiation, duration, and quality of sleep even when the appropriate time and environment are provided for falling asleep. According to the standards of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), insomnia is diagnosed when problems in the quantity and quality of sleep occur three or more times a week and persist for more than three months, resulting in difficulties in daily life. do.
Insomnia can occur in a variety of ways, such as taking a long time to fall asleep at first, waking up frequently during sleep, and having difficulty falling back to sleep after waking up.
If the state of not getting enough and good quality sleep lasts, chronic fatigue, decreased concentration, loss of motivation, etc. are caused, and work efficiency is lowered due to reduced memory and judgment. It can also cause a variety of pain, including headaches and shoulder pain. In addition, it increases the incidence of metabolic syndrome, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, including metabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Patients with insomnia are on the rise every year and appear regardless of gender and age. In particular, children’s insomnia hinders their growth, so rapid and active improvement is needed. During sleep, a large amount of growth hormone is secreted, so lack of sleep directly affects height growth. In addition, children who do not get enough sleep often show hyperactivity and lack of concentration compared to their peers.
Insomnia is usually higher in women than in men. Hormonal changes are cited as the cause, and as women go through pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, the female hormone estrogen decreases. This causes hormonal imbalance in the human body, and insomnia appears along with hot flashes, sweating, anxiety and depression.
Western medicine believes that the cause of insomnia is closely related to abnormalities in the function of the brain nervous system and hormones such as serotonin secreted from the brain.
Insomnia can be temporary or chronic. Temporary insomnia can be caused by excessive tension and stress, changes in the environment, etc. Most of them do not last long and disappear within a few days.
Chronic insomnia may be caused by pain and certain diseases that interfere with sleep, or by long-term use of sleeping pills. In addition, drugs such as stimulants, antidepressants, and sympathomimetic blockers, high content of caffeine, and excessive drinking also cause insomnia.
In oriental medicine, it has long been expressed as sleepiness, sleepiness, blindness, and blindness, and has been treated as closely related to the disharmony of the five organs of the human body.
Herbal medicine treatment for insomnia consists of herbal medicines with anti-anxiety, sedation, and sleep effects, helping to normalize sleep rhythm through the recovery of brain nervous system function. In addition, after comprehensively examining the physical condition, it helps to restore the normality of elements with imbalances and malfunctions, helping to resolve even the underlying causes rather than insomnia symptoms that are revealed on the surface.
Meanwhile, according to a recent study, acupuncture treatment relieves endoplasmic reticulum stress in the brain system that affects sleep, and it has been found that it increases the duration of sleep. In addition, electroacupuncture treatment, in which acupuncture is placed on two or more acupoints and weak current is passed, was found to have significant effects on the improvement of sleep quality and anxiety and depression scales.
In order to overcome insomnia, not only medical treatment but also lifestyle changes are very important. It is to create a regular life rhythm. It is good to go to bed at the same time, wake up at the same time, and have regular activities during the day. It is also good to do moderate exercise, physical activity, and sun exposure during the day. However, after the evening time, rather than strong exercise that can interfere with sleep, gentle stretching or light walking should be enough.
Do not eat full before going to bed, and avoid drinking caffeinated beverages. If the habit of drinking and sleeping is prolonged, it is rather difficult to sleep deeply, so it is good to get rid of the drinking habit before going to bed. Also, avoid looking at the screen of a smartphone, computer, or TV before going to bed as it interferes with sleep. It may be necessary to reduce the lighting in advance and use curtains to block the light from streetlights coming in from outside the window.
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