2023-08-10 16:08:19
Some of us well remember struggling some nights with waking completely at two or three in the morning. And it seems to us in those moments that it is impossible for us to go back to sleep.
Some of us remember very well that what races to mind at that time is not the loss of enjoying the return of falling asleep; Rather, one often thinks, with some anxiety and panic, about the difficult day ahead, if one cannot go back to sleep again, in order to wake up refreshed for work, college, or school.
forms of insomnia
“If that’s what you’re experiencing, it’s a form of insomnia,” says Michelle Drerup, MD, a behavioral sleep disorder specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. And medically, the state of inability to return to sleep again in the early morning hours is defined as “sleep-maintenance insomnia.”
She adds that insomnia – in general – is one of the common health conditions, but it is neglected in caring for it and finding therapeutic and behavioral solutions for it, and it has long-term effects and profound effects on a person’s health, if it continues for long periods or periodically recurring.
And “sleep unsustainable insomnia” is a form of insomnia. Other forms include Difficulty Falling Asleep, Frequent Awakenings, and Spontaneous Early Morning Awakenings.
And if a person suffers from “insomnia not maintaining the continuity of sleep,” it is good to search for possible reasons that may make him wake up from his sleep, such as the need to use the bathroom, pain in the joints, sleep apnea, heartburn, or others. one of the reasons.
night awakening
The basis for dealing with the problem of night awakenings, when there is no organic cause or pathological condition, is what Dr. Erica J. Olsen, of MayoClinic, says: “If you wake up from sleep, and you are unable to fall asleep again within 20 minutes or so So, get out of bed. Go to another room and read, or do quiet activities until you feel sleepy.
It is true that sometimes, waking up in the middle of the night may be unavoidable. But a person can help himself, in a proactive way, to develop a strategy that prevents this problem from occurring in the first place, and makes it easier for him to return to sleep, and thus reduce the amount of time that one spends at that time staring at the ceiling or tossing and turning in bed.
“Waking up in the middle of the night is called insomnia, and it’s a common problem,” says Dr. Erica J. Olsen, of MayoClinic. Waking up in the middle of sleep often occurs during periods of stress. Over-the-counter sleep aids rarely provide significant or sustained help for this problem. “In some cases, insomnia is caused by a medical condition, such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, or chronic pain, or a mental health disorder, such as depression,” she adds. It may be necessary to treat these underlying conditions to feel better about your insomnia. If you continue to have sleep problems, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe medication and suggest you try other strategies to normalize your sleep pattern, depending on the cause of your insomnia.
Steps to stabilize sleep
And by reviewing many medical sources, here are 4 steps with varying effects from one person to another, in the stability and continuity of his nightly sleep, until his usual morning wake-up time:
1. Bedtime Routine: The key is that an adult sleeps better and easier when he maintains a consistent bedtime routine. When a person does the same things every night before going to sleep, he will make his body ready to take a break, and prepare his mind for sleep. As a proactive step to prevent “insomnia not maintaining the continuity of sleep”, a person needs two things: the first is to adjust the daytime nap, and the other is to set a program for his night sleep.
Taking long periods of sleep during daylight hours, such as long naps in the afternoon, is a behavior that makes it difficult to fall asleep at night. Therefore, if a person wants to take a nap during the daytime hours, to renew the activity of his mind, mind and body, he must limit it to a period not exceeding half an hour, and avoid being late in the daytime hours.
The other matter, that is, setting a program for his night sleep, which includes determining the number of hours of his night sleep, i.e. about 8 hours, without going too far in delaying the time of going to bed, and without – also – sleeping longer hours by delaying waking up from sleep, i.e. setting a fixed date for night sleep. And for getting up in the morning. Which requires one to try as much as he can not to get a difference in his sleeping schedule on weeknights from his sleep schedule on weekends or vacations.
And adhering to this daily routine with sleep cycle times enhances the chances of the biological clock responding in the brain, with enough hours of sleep at night and active awakening in the morning. Because the body will recognize that daily routine and get used to it, and thus the organs and organs of the body will help ease human sleep. But as Dr. Erica J. Olsen, of Mayo Clinic, says, “You only go to bed when you’re sleepy. And if you don’t feel sleepy at bedtime, do something relaxing, to help calm you down. Which is what will come.
2. A bedtime routine: Establishing a calm, relaxing bedtime routine is key. And starting from the hours before sunset, it is worth reducing the consumption of caffeine-rich drinks, such as coffee, tea and energy drinks. Because the stimulating effects of caffeine on the brain take hours to diminish in the body. The same applies to smoking nicotine.
Also, do not go to bed while feeling hungry. Because feeling hungry is one of the strongest stimuli that hinders going to sleep. Specifically, it is worth making sure to eat a non-greasy and non-heavy dinner, two hours before bedtime. And useful foods to facilitate sleep are those that contain proteins, such as those available in eggs, milk, bananas and nuts.
It is true that evening exercise may be beneficial for some, or some may not find time for it other than the evening period, but as Dr. Erica J. Olsen, of Mayo Clinic, says: “Keep in mind that exercising just before bedtime may hinder sleep.” It should be 6 hours before bedtime. This is noting that practicing moderate-intensity and fast walking for a short period may help many in facilitating falling asleep.
This means that the steps of the bedtime routine are started hours before bedtime. And with the advent of bedtime, one frees himself to engage in simple and usual activities to fall asleep. For example, some people may prefer to drink a cup of warm chamomile tea, take a warm bath, or listen to soft music. Taking care to avoid prolonged use of electronic devices with screens, such as laptops, smartphones, and e-books, before bed. It can also include gradually relaxing the body and its muscles, to relieve muscle tension, and help tense muscles to relax, through simple “yoga” or any similar physical behavior. Or maybe continue reading a chapter of a story or a book.
sleep environment
3. Bedroom environment: It is essential to make the bedroom environment relaxing. The first step in this is to preserve the “sleep hygiene” in it, by removing what causes disturbance of sleep.
An example of this is keeping the light dim in it after sunset, so that the brain secretion of the hormone melatonin, which is the natural medicine secreted by the body to facilitate normal sleep, is not disturbed. What activates the brain’s production of this hormone is dim lighting.
Reducing acoustic noise is also an essential aspect. As well as keeping the temperature at comfortable and unobtrusive levels. That is, neither too cold nor too hot. To be clear, the moderate healthy cold, about 24 degrees Celsius, provides the body with an opportunity to rest, especially the muscles of the body. It is known that the extreme cold in the bedroom hinders the relaxation of muscles and joints, and prompts the body to work on energy production to maintain body temperature at a level of 37 degrees Celsius.
The sleeping bed mattress should be comfortable, and its pillows as well. One of the facts is that an adult person spends almost a third of his life sleeping, so he should not skimp on himself by getting a bed that makes him comfortable and relaxed.
It is also worth keeping the bedroom dedicated only to sleep and emotional encounters, without any other activities taking place in it. Like eating, watching TV or using the computer.
Some may benefit from placing the watch out of sight in the bedroom; Because watching the clock may cause nervous psychological pressure, and then it is difficult to go back to sleep again if one wakes up during the night. All of which will help the body realize that this room is for sleeping.
4. Stop emotional disturbance and distracting conversations: According to many medical sources, before bedtime, one should avoid exposure to any emotional disturbance, psychological excitement, or in-depth conversations with others, especially with family members, when there is any marital or domestic dispute.
And those medical sources indicate the usefulness of ensuring physical and mental relaxation, and working to control anxiety about anything that occupies the mind. And if a person happens to remember something like that in the moments before going to sleep, he should write it down and leave it for tomorrow to think about it.
“insomnia of not maintaining the continuity of sleep” is one form of insomnia, and there is also “insomnia of difficulty starting to sleep”, “insomnia of frequent nocturnal awakenings”, and “insomnia of spontaneous awakening in the early morning”.
Medical researchers from MayoClinic say: “How you deal with the stresses of daily life can play a very important role in your ability to lie down and sleep continuously. And not all harm is limited to stress, as stress turns into discomfort or anxiety, and then your sleep can be disturbed. And if your cluttered mind is keeping you awake at night, try stress management techniques before bed. Try aromatherapy, deep breathing, leafing through a newspaper, or meditation. And if you’re lying in bed feeling stressed about not being able to sleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing. This could be reading a boring book, practicing a relaxation technique, or focusing on your breathing. And when you start to feel sleepy again, go to bed.”
* Consultant in internal medicine
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