Sleep is special physiological state organism, in which reactions to the world. The positive effects of sleep on health were considered dogma and were not tested until the mid-20th century. It was only in the 50s that scientists began to study the effects of sleep on health and came to very interesting conclusions.
It turned out that anabolism is activated in sleep - the process of formation of new high-molecular compounds, most hormones, muscle fibers and even young cells are synthesized. The body is being renewed. Thus, the fact that children grow up in their sleep has received scientific substantiation.
In addition, during sleep the brain analyzes and processes information. At the same time, redundant and unnecessary information is removed, and important information, on the contrary, is absorbed. As a result, mental resources and performance are restored. Many world-famous scientists noted that it was in their dreams that ideas and discoveries came to them, which then became the foundation for the progress of civilization.
Sleep has its own structure and consists of 2 stages: slow and fast, which cyclically replace each other. For some time it was believed that deprivation had the worst effect on the body. REM sleep, but as a result of scientific research scientists have refuted this information and proven that decisive moment is the continuity of sleep and the normal relationship between its phases. This explains why many people do not feel rested when taking sleeping pills.
The influence of sleep on human health
If the duration of sleep is insufficient, a person's performance decreases and the risk of developing various diseases. What is meant by the term “sufficient duration” and how great the influence of sleep on the body is, we will look in a little more detail.
Heart diseases
Clinical studies have shown a relationship between cardiovascular disease and sleep duration. If its duration is within long period time is less than 7 hours a day, this increases the risk by two and a half times. It's paradoxical, but scientific fact: If a person sleeps more than 10 hours a day, this also negatively affects the heart, but the risk increases “only” by one and a half times.
Weight gain and risk of obesity
Fat cells produce leptin, a hormone that is responsible for storing energy. The peak production of this hormone occurs at night, and if sleep patterns are disturbed or sleep is short, little hormone is produced. The body realizes that it has retained little energy and begins to store it in the form of fat deposits.
All balanced weight loss programs are aimed not only at normalizing nutrition and physical activity, but also on the regulation of work and rest. It is believed that after full-fledged physical activity, sleep becomes deeper, the slow phase prevails in it - it is during it that the main amount of leptin is produced.
Decreased libido and potency
When sleep is disturbed in men, testosterone levels drop and, as a result, libido decreases and erection problems arise. The first recommendation that andrologists give to their patients in such cases is to get enough sleep and normalize your sleep.
The effect of sleep on performance
The influence of sleep patterns is especially strong for knowledge workers, since during the night's rest the information received during the day is processed. If a person is deprived of sleep, the brain simply will not absorb new information and skills. At least, this is the version that modern neuroscientists adhere to. According to some data, a person who has not slept for 17 hours has brain activity corresponding to the level of a person whose blood contains 0.5 ppm of alcohol, and a day without sleep corresponds to 1 ppm.
During various studies it was found that after a full night's sleep, students' learning abilities improved, they coped more effectively with mathematical problems, and studied more successfully foreign languages and better assimilated the material covered the day before.
The influence of sleep patterns also affects manual workers. In particular, if they do not get enough rest at night, their risk of injury increases and productivity decreases due to decreased attention.
How to normalize sleep
The required amount of sleep varies from person to person. To determine your norm, it is recommended to do the following experiment. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than your usual time. If your health does not improve within a week, then add another 15 minutes to this time and observe how you feel for another week. Continue adding 15-minute intervals to your nightly sleep until you feel like you wake up refreshed.
In addition, first of all, you should pay attention to your daily routine. It is better to concentrate the peaks of physical and intellectual activity in the daytime, and leave the evening for rest and relaxation. It is also worth limiting emotional stress in the evening.
Great importance is placed on falling asleep at the same time. Moreover, these actions must be accompanied by a certain ritual. For example, you can introduce a small rule evening walk, airing the room, washing, etc. Thanks to such simple actions, the body will subconsciously prepare for rest, which means sleep will come faster and be deeper.
Often, after normalization of sleep, general well-being improves, some chronic diseases recede, and mood improves. Take care of your body and very soon you will feel tangible changes.
It is not possible to include naps in the life of the average adult. It seems that this dream is useless and unrealizable. But many psychologists say the opposite. This not only helps the body to be overloaded during the day and reduces stress levels, but also develops our creative abilities as well as all kinds of courses.
Harvard University researcher Bill Anthony has been studying the phenomenon of napping for several decades. He came to the conclusion that this taking a break from work actually overloads the brain, restoring its cells. A siesta, or nap, helps improve memory and prepares the body for more effective absorption of information. Moreover, it increases significantly, which allows you to improve the quality of work and improve academic performance. It is probably for this reason that many great minds of mankind, from Archimedes to Hugo, practiced naps. Who knows: maybe this innovation will make you the most successful person in the world?
Typically, a person wants to sleep six hours after waking up. Historically, we begin to nod off and our eyelids begin to droop around lunchtime. And it’s not surprising, because after a hearty lunch you should get a good night’s sleep. By the way, when we try in every way to cheer ourselves up, we harm our body. Eastern philosophy confirms this: you need to listen to your body and give it everything it requires. Daytime nap not an exception. Listening to yourself is the secret to longevity and good health.
Wanting to sleep in the middle of the workday is not a sign of weakness and... When you realize that sleep is important for the mind and body, and do it when necessary, then you can call yourself a mature person. After all, you understand that you shouldn’t joke with your health. No one will take care of him like you. Not getting enough sleep can ultimately lead to depressive state or insomnia.
It is strange to see a person sleeping during the working day. Moreover, you can get a pretty serious reprimand for taking a nap during the day. However, for example, in China and Japan this is considered a necessary measure. In every office in the Middle East you can find a break room, which will definitely have sleeping places. They understand that in this way the staff will be higher than usual. You can benefit from everything, including an afternoon siesta.
If, however, conditions do not allow you to take a break for a nap, then there is a practice specifically for such workaholics. It will be enough to devote a few minutes to this within your workplace. Clear the space around you of any kind of technology, close your eyes and focus on some pleasant moment in your life. Feel your breath and how relaxed your body is. This is not exactly a dream, but it also has a positive effect on your body: this practice can also keep you calm.
Contents of the article
There is an opinion that good deep sleep good for health. But there is also back side medals: staying in the arms of Morpheus for too long is not just harmful, but very harmful. Mental impairment, bouquet chronic diseases, cardiovascular pathologies - all this is at risk for people who like to soak in bed for more than 9-10 hours a day. Thus, long sleep is extremely harmful to the mind and body. What should those who simply cannot wake up on time do, even after setting several alarms at night, and what does this condition indicate? The answer to this question will be discussed in this material.
What research has been carried out in this direction?
According to research data conducted by Spanish scientists on 3,300 people, respondents who liked to sleep very long in their youth and even take a nap at lunchtime, in old age are 2 times more likely to suffer from dementia in the senile period. The exact reason for this phenomenon is not entirely clear. In addition, not so long ago a mutual connection was discovered between prolonged sleep and the formation of heart and vascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension. Smoking and alcohol abuse have similar effects. Therefore, those who like to set a record on their sleep run the risk of contracting these serious ailments.
Idiopathic hypersomnia
This phenomenon is otherwise called idiopathic hypersomnia. It is a disorder accompanied by the formation of increased sleepiness. People who suffer from this disease experience fatigue, weakness, and apathy, which interfere with normal life activities. It persists even though sleep lasts a very long time. Such patients may sleep significantly more than the required eight hours. Sometimes they set a record and sleep from 12 to 14 hours. Even after this time, they have difficulty waking up.
If you wake up a patient suffering from such a disorder, he will still not be rested. His retardation will be noticeable in appearance. This phenomenon is otherwise called “sleep intoxication.” It turns out that no matter how much an individual sleeps, he still experiences drowsiness. Often, because of this problem, typos affect your career, studies, and social life. After all, prolonged sleep significantly disrupts performance: the patient can look at one point for several hours and ignore reality. You can notice from the outside that a person has forgotten the rules for doing everyday things. Those who sleep a lot may suffer from migraines in 30% of cases. About 15% of all patients show signs of impending depression.
You might suddenly fall asleep right at work.
Despite how long the sick person has slept, his condition does not improve. In this case, there is a possibility of paralysis and hallucinations. But patients suffering from symptoms of hypersomnia do not experience attacks of weakness, as in other similar diseases. The situation with this disease is aggravated by the fact that early diagnosis accompanied by certain difficulties, and late stage It's getting harder to find adequate treatment. It is also influenced by the fact that the level of people’s awareness of this pathology remains minimal, which leads to the process of stigmatization of patients.
Who is susceptible to this disease
Over time, signs this state begin to appear in people over 30 years of age. They are pronounced and interfere with the normal process of life, without changing over time. Although in isolated cases, some symptoms disappear on their own. Prolonged sleep is less common than narcolepsy and occurs only in rare cases in children. Regarding the prevalence depending on gender, the disease occurs equally in men and women. In practice, a family origin of the disease has been observed, but specific genes responsible for this pathology have not been identified.
Long sleep - disease or normal
If a person notices such phenomena in himself and discovers that he sleeps too long, this is definitely pathological process, and it is not the norm. Currently, there are several reasons long sleep why a person constantly wants to sleep.
One of the reasons is strong physical exercise
- pathologies of a chronic nature;
- endocrine dysfunction;
- protracted infectious processes;
- stress and depression;
- emotional shocks;
- excessive physical activity;
- hunger or, conversely, gluttony;
- high mental stress;
- weakness of the body's protective option;
- brain damage and mental problems;
- diseases of a neurological nature;
- lifestyle changes;
- group of somatic diseases.
So, we looked at why this happens and what are the factors influencing this condition.
Symptoms of hypersomnia
This disease is characterized by many symptoms. It is their presence that allows us to judge that this disease exists. Among the main symptoms of this pathology are the following:
- state of drowsiness;
- pronounced snoring;
- sudden falling asleep;
- broken sleep time record;
- stopping breathing during sleep;
- inability to get enough sleep;
- migraine and dizziness;
- feeling of weakness;
- loss of vision;
- muscle paralysis;
- convulsions;
- changes in pressure in the arteries;
- decreased heart rate.
Symptoms appear depending on the cause of hypersomnia. They can appear at any time. For example, there is a possibility of falling asleep while driving or at work, as well as while performing other important tasks.
Suddenly fell asleep It is worth noting that people who suffer from this condition are never in a cheerful state. As a result, they often have to lose social contacts and refuse to perform work duties. In this case, there may be dreams that the patient most often does not remember after waking up.
Should I get rid of long sleep?
If sleep is too long a process and a favorite activity for you, you should consult a doctor. He will prescribe a set of examinations, including the following:
- Donating blood to determine traces of drugs and drugs; this factor will allow you to establish or exclude certain causes of this condition.
- A detailed study lasting overnight and the next day. It includes carrying out instrumental research at night - polysomnography, which involves recording electrical brain, cardiac, muscle activity and respiratory function. Movements performed by the limbs are also recorded. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of other sleep disorders that cause or worsen the problems.
- A continuation of the previous examination is carried out the next day and involves studying episodes of daytime sleep. It's called Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). This study involves a series of sleep attempts during the daytime. A similar study is carried out in the diagnostic practice of narcolepsy.
You need to tell your doctor your sleep record ( maximum time, carried out in a dream), and also follow the basic rules indicated by the specialist.
The sleep record is 40 years. No need to strive there 😉 Features of treatment for sleep disorders
Why this disease occurs is still unknown. However, maintenance therapy in this case not prevent. Traditionally, it is aimed at eliminating the main symptom of the condition – excessive drowsiness. To carry out the treatment process, the same medications are used as for narcolepsy. But the difficulty lies in the less pronounced effect of treatment compared to narcolepsy. If you watch all the time increased weakness, you need to follow certain tips that will help improve your condition:
- Supporting a regular sleep schedule in adults. It is necessary to plan the use of medications at times when it is especially important to remain alert and active. If you experience a condition like before going to bed, you should not drive. Vehicle and complexly controlled mechanisms.
- You should not take medications that affect the quality of sleep and general level drowsiness. It is strictly not recommended to abuse alcohol, which has negative impact on the general condition.
- It is worth taking longer to treat sleep disorders, if you have them, and to do it effectively. If there are mental disorders, it is also important to carry out their therapy without delays and difficulties.
- If prolonged sleep occurs, the entire healing process should be carried out under the supervision of a treating specialist, who is always ready to advise and provide answers to all common questions.
Disease prognosis
It is a lifelong disorder that may experience remissions in rare situations. The first signs of a present disease may appear in adolescence. age period. Sometimes a signal that something is wrong in the body appears during puberty. The consequences of this condition seriously affect professional and social life. It is instructive that this condition, compared to narcolepsy, incapacitates a person much more often. That is, even if he slept for several hours and set a record, it is more difficult for him to recover and return to normal activities.
There is a chance to return to an active life! In general, if you follow the rules given in the article, the prognosis is good. If you take supportive medications (and their list is strictly prescribed by the treating specialist) and use other methods of therapy, you can begin to be awake and lead more active life activities.
Thus, if you set record after record in terms of sleep duration, there is no reason to be proud. Usually people sleep 8 hours a day, and this time is considered the norm, that is, it is enough for proper sleep, gaining new strength and comfortable rest. If an individual falls asleep for 10 or more hours, up to 14, this is abnormal and requires medical intervention. We wish you good health And wellness any age!
It's no secret that good sleep is the basis of our health. It restores strength, strengthens the immune system, reduces stress levels and even helps fight obesity, diabetes and early mortality!
But this does not mean that the more we sleep, the healthier we become. Moreover, according to scientists, staying in the arms of Morpheus for too long is harmful to the body. According to them, people who regularly spend more than 9-10 hours in bed risk getting a bunch of chronic diseases, facing cardiovascular pathologies and impaired brain function. This article will be of interest to all those who believe that 8 hours a day is extremely little for sleep, and who cannot wake up even to the sound of an alarm clock.
Why do people sleep longer than usual?
After conducting a series of studies, scientists from the American National Sleep Foundation concluded that excessive sleep is a sign of various problems with the body. So, if a person sleeps more than 9 hours every day, it is likely that he has:
- chronic fatigue due to excessive physical activity;
- problems with the thyroid gland;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- protracted infectious process;
- hunger or gluttony;
- diseases of a neurological nature;
- chronic stress or depression;
- sleep apnea.
In addition, sleeping too much can be side effect taking some medicines. Scientists have also noticed a relationship between long sleep and bad habits(smoking and alcohol abuse). That is, those who sleep for a long time may encounter listed diseases or worsen existing bad habits.
Idiopathic hypersomnia
Finally, it is worth mentioning that prolonged sleep can be a symptom unpleasant disease called idiopathic hypersomnia. It's essentially a disorder nervous system, leading a person to increased drowsiness.
A person suffering from this disease experiences a constant desire to sleep, much longer than the prescribed 8 hours. He suffers from constant overwork, weakness and apathy, which interferes with normal life activities. It is not uncommon for him to experience dizziness and migraines, low blood pressure and vision problems. Moreover, against the background of the disease, such a person’s mental abilities deteriorate, problems with memory and concentration begin. And the most unpleasant thing is that even after long sleep the patient does not feel cheerful and rested.
It is not surprising that such a painful condition negatively affects professional activity, study and personal life. Such people are never in a cheerful state, rarely smile, their social contacts are disrupted, and in some cases they are forced to leave their place of work altogether. But hypersomnia can easily cause fatal consequences, because a person suffering from it risks falling asleep while driving or while performing an important task.
But even if you do not suffer from idiopathic hypersomnia, but simply like to sleep for a long time and at the same time feel good after waking up, you should worry about your sleep habits. Here are a few unpleasant consequences which can be caused by excessive sleep.
Negative effects of prolonged sleep
1. Heart problems
When you sleep for a long time, your heart begins to suffer. The fact is that during sleep, blood vessels dilate and blood flow slows down, which means that the likelihood of blood thickening and the formation of clots, which can become blood clots, increases. Thus, prolonged sleep is one of the factors that can lead a person to a stroke or heart attack. Moreover, scientists at the University of Massachusetts conducted a study that confirmed that prolonged sleep leads to early mortality. Moreover, than more people sleeps, the sooner he risks dying. In this regard, the ideal sleep time is considered to be 7 hours a day.
2. Obesity
Prolonged sleep also affects the state of appearance, in particular, the gain of fat mass. If you sleep for long periods of time, including during the day, you have less time for activity during the day. And less activity is accompanied by less burning of calories, which, remaining in the body, lead to weight gain. Typically, excess body weight develops both in people who sleep 4 hours a day, and in people who are drawn to sleep 10 hours a day. That is why it is worth monitoring the duration of night rest and limiting it to 7-8 hours.
3. Diabetes mellitus
The duration of sleep affects the production of hormones. First of all, at night the body’s production of testosterone decreases, which becomes a prerequisite for the development diabetes mellitus. Moreover, under the influence of prolonged sleep, the body's tolerance to glucose is impaired, and this is a known factor in the development of type II diabetes. Finally, people who sleep a lot are less active when they are awake, and physical activity is essential to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. However, diabetes is caused not only by prolonged sleep, but also by a sedentary lifestyle, as well as obesity.
4. Depressive state
Normal sleep leads to the fact that the awakened person feels healthy, rested, alert and cheerful. However, if you sleep more than 9 hours, you wake up sleep-deprived and gloomy. Doctors call this condition “sleep intoxication.” But that's not all. Prolonged sleep leads to a decrease in physical activity throughout the day, and lack of activity, in turn, leads to a decrease in the production of dopamine and serotonin, they are also called “hormones of joy and happiness.” It is not surprising that when the production of these hormones important for mood decreases, a person becomes apathetic, depressed, prone to stress and depression.
5. Damage to the brain
Too much sleep invariably affects brain activity and provokes lethargy. A person in this state does not think well, he has memory problems, and he cannot concentrate on any one thing for a long time. If such a problem haunts a person for a long time, it can lead to structural changes in the brain and cause impairment of basic cognitive functions. Prolonged sleep is especially harmful for the elderly. Scientists from the University of Rotterdam conducted a study that confirmed that people over 55 years of age who tend to sleep 10 hours a day are 3 times more likely to experience memory impairment. senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
6. Frequent headaches
It only seems at first glance that the more a person rests, the less often he has a headache. Too much long sleep can lead to frequent headaches and even migraines. Scientists believe that this is due to a disruption in the functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain and, above all, to the low production of serotonin and dopamine. By the way, the appearance of headaches in a person who wakes up by noon may be associated with a lack of blood sugar and dehydration.
7. Back pain
Often a person who has slept for more than 10 hours declares that his back already hurts from sleep. This famous phenomenon, which can be explained by a decrease motor activity, which is bad for bones and muscular system. It is especially difficult for people suffering from osteochondrosis and other back diseases to endure prolonged sleep. In addition, prolonged inactivity associated with sleep increases the likelihood inflammatory processes in the body, which can also cause back pain.
Should I get rid of long sleep?
A person cannot always determine on his own whether he needs to reduce his sleep duration. And the norm of 7-8 hours is not always correct, because each person’s body is individual. To understand this issue, you need to see a doctor who will prescribe comprehensive examination. It should include:
1. Blood test. Substances or medications that cause drowsiness may be found in the blood. By eliminating their entry into the body, the existing problem can be eliminated.
2. Polysomnography. This is a detailed study carried out throughout the day, during which special sensors record brain, heart and muscle activity, as well as respiratory function. Such a study allows you to determine whether there is a sleep disorder, as well as identify factors that increase this disorder.
How to deal with long sleep
Faced with such a problem, doctors help a person normalize sleep, acting in two directions, namely, prescribing medications that are prescribed for hypersomnia, and also recommending making the right changes in their life. Let's list the most important changes.
1. Try to adhere to a rest and sleep schedule, i.e. go to bed no later than 22:00, and wake up no later than 6:00. If you feel drowsy and very tired during the day, you should not drive a car or operate complex machinery.
2. Create the perfect sleep environment. Nothing should distract you from sleep, so try to always sleep in the bedroom, after ventilating it for 10 minutes and regularly wet cleaning it. Remove TV and electronic gadgets from your bedroom that may interfere with your sleep.
3. Avoid drinking coffee and alcohol before bed. On the contrary, to set yourself up for a good rest, take a relaxing bath and drink a cup of herbal tea.
4. Consult your doctor before taking medications. If the medication affects sleep, it must be replaced with a safer one.
5. Avoid pressing the alarm button repeatedly. Train yourself to rise with its first trills.
6. Start your morning with a cup of tea and morning exercises to feel cheerful and light throughout the day.
Treatment prognosis
Practice shows that treatment of prolonged sleep under the supervision of a specialist gives good results and in 80% of cases relieves a person from this unpleasant condition. It is quite difficult to make progress without the help of doctors. That is why, if independent changes in your rest and sleep patterns do not lead to noticeable improvements, send to a doctor and undergo treatment under his supervision.
Take care of yourself!
What you do while you're awake can actually affect your dreams and how you sleep. We often feel like our dreams are beyond our control. Nevertheless, latest research have shown that certain behaviors can actually affect your dreams in good and bad relationship. Find out what habits and daytime activities can have an impact on your rest, and try to change your dreams.
Do you want to learn how to relax better or have sweet dreams? Then listen to these tips:
1.Change your sleeping positions
Your sleeping position can have a significant impact on your dreams. Sleeping on your left side is more likely to lead to nightmares, while resting on right side body is associated with more peaceful dreams.
2.Take music lessons
Do you often hear music in your dreams? Researchers at the Sleep Laboratory at the University of Florence have discovered that young people who begin to study music begin to have “musical” dreams.
The study also found that 28 percent of people who dream about music have heard the tune at some point while they are awake.
3.Don't scare yourself
Watching horror movies or reading suspenseful novels before bed can cause your brain to replay its own scary stories.
In fact, any activity immediately preceding sleep can affect dreams, so take a few minutes in the evening to relax and think about something positive before you drift off.
4. Don't go to bed hungry
Feeling hungry while you sleep can reduce the quality of your sleep and wake you up. low level blood sugar. You might even dream of a delicious hamburger or cupcake!
Try eating a light snack before bed, such as a banana, nuts or crackers, to counteract this effect. Avoid fatty and spicy foods, which can lead to stomach upset.
5. Fall asleep to soothing smells and sounds
When you're dozing, strong smells like coffee or breakfast cooking can subconsciously sneak into your dreams. Some smells can trigger positive dreams, while others can trigger negative dreams. Light it up before going to bed aroma candles or freshen the air with a couple of drops of your favorite perfume, and your dreams will be pleasant! 
Surround yourself with pleasant scents, such as lavender or lilac, and pleasant sounds, such as the sound of the sea. Such environmental cues can influence dreams. In addition, make sure you have a comfortable mattress and a comfortable temperature.
6. Deal with daytime stress
Trying to avoid something or someone during the day, or suppress thoughts? This can lead to dreams that focus on this issue throughout the night, according to the teachings of Sigmund Freud.
Whether it's a work emergency, concerns about physical problems, appearance or relationships, attempts to suppress the issue often move it into dreams. Solve your questions throughout the day to clear your mind.
Maybe, The best way changing your dreams is healthy habits and positive, happy thoughts before bed.
