Dream — important function, a condition of great general biological significance. A person spends a third of his life sleeping and cannot live without sleep. During sleep, a person's activity decreases metabolic processes And muscle tone, anabolism processes are more active and inhibited nerve structures. All this helps to restore strength after a day of mental and physical labor. But, as noted by I.P. Pavlov, sleep is not just rest, but an active state of the body, which is characterized special shape brain activity. In particular, during sleep, information accumulated by a person over the previous time is analyzed and processed. If such sorting was successful, then the brain is freed from excessive information accumulated the day before and is again ready to work. Thanks to this, a person’s neuropsychic state is normalized and performance is restored. Sleep facilitates programming processes in the brain and performs a variety of other functions.

Sleep is a structurally complex phenomenon. It consists of at least two large stages, which naturally and cyclically replace each other: 1) slow sleep lasting 60 - 90 minutes; it, in turn, consists of several phases and 2) fast sleep(paradoxical) - 10 20 minutes.

Deeper structures of the brain are responsible for REM sleep, and in young children it dominates. With age, the proportion of slow-wave sleep associated with younger evolutionary brain structures increases; it is more complexly organized.

For a long time it was believed that deprivation of a person REM sleep harder on his health than slow. But this is not so - the main significance is normal structure sleep, i.e. certain ratios of slow and fast phases. If this ratio is violated (which happens, for example, when taking sleeping pills), then sleep, even a long one, does not bring the feeling of desired rest. If sleep is shortened and a person fails to get enough sleep, then performance decreases and some neurotic disorders arise; If there is a regular lack of sleep, these changes gradually accumulate, and due to the deepening of neurosis, severe functional diseases can occur.

Characteristic features of REM sleep are dreams. Although it is now known that both REM and slow-wave sleep can be accompanied by dreams, vivid, emotionally charged, sometimes with fantastic or detective plots dreams are most often from REM sleep, when the brain works very hard, reminiscent in its activity of the period of wakefulness.

Dreams are common to everyone, but not all people and not every one of them remember.

Sigmund Freud viewed dreams as special and very important language consciousness of people, as a breakthrough into the consciousness of the unconscious, often in a symbolic, veiled form. It is this feature that sometimes allows one to solve complex problems in a dream, make a breakthrough into a new area of ​​knowledge, and even give birth to brilliant ideas. 3. Freud believed that dreams often reflect the struggle of a person’s psychobiological “I” with various social restrictions, which he is forced to obey while awake, which is why his psyche is in a state of constant tension. Thanks to dreams, when the barriers of restrictions are removed, neuropsychic tension decreases (it’s not for nothing that the Russian proverb speaks of this: “Woe to sleep is no grief to be seen”). 3. Freud developed a special system of psychoanalysis, the basis of which is the decoding of dream symbols characteristic of a particular person, which allows one to find that chronic cause, which causes him neuropsychiatric disorder. Symbols and motivation of dreams depend on the psychophysiological characteristics of a person, the level of his culture, environmental conditions that determine his needs, habits, and interests. That is why numerous dream books that do not take into account all these features have no practical meaning.

The specific duration of sleep is purely individual and depends on the nature of previous activity, general condition person, age, season, characteristics of a person’s GNI and other factors. In particular, after intense mental or physical work, longer sleep is required.

As practice shows, the main condition for the usefulness of sleep is its continuity - this is what creates in the brain optimal conditions for processing information, for comparing information accumulated over the previous day with already established or genetically determined information. It is thanks to this that memory reserves are released during sleep, unnecessary information is erased and unnecessary reactions formed during wakefulness are eliminated.

Has a beneficial effect on the organization and structure of sleep habit of going to bed and getting up at the same hours. Thanks to this, a stereotype is formed, which is automatically included in specified time, and falling asleep occurs quickly and without difficulty. This is of particular importance for knowledge workers who, as often happens, due to various reasons shift mental work to a later time, but such a regime can take hold and gradually lead to sleep disturbances, and then to pathology. It is also necessary to take into account the biorhythmic characteristics of a person. Thus, a typical “early person” goes to bed on average 1.5 hours earlier than a “night owl” and gets up 2 hours earlier.

In case of sleep disorders, it is advisable to make the evening hours a time for rest and relaxation, since significant physical and mental stress during the day impairs subsequent sleep. For the same purposes, evening time You should avoid highly emotional activities (arguments, watching emotional TV shows, etc.), heavy and rich foods, drinks containing caffeine (coffee, tea, Coca-Cola) - in general, everything that excites the nervous system , disrupts sleep. Sleep should be preceded by a calm environment. A busy, interesting work day, a reasonable combination of mental and physical activity, active and varied recreation, and physical education are good prerequisites for normal sleep. An evening walk is also useful.

If a person does not sleep well at night, there is no need to nap during the day, but for some people a short nap (up to half an hour) helps. nap in between intense mental activities, which helps them relieve unnecessary stress and increase productivity.

It is better to sleep in a warm, dry, quiet, darkened room, on a not too soft, elastic mattress. Before going to bed, it’s a good idea to do simple calming procedures, for example, take a warm shower, read a enjoyable book. But the final choice of preparation for sleep is made by the person himself based on his own experience, conditions, analysis of sensations and well-being.

Greetings to you, many respected parties to a healthy lifestyle! This year we've been talking about how sleep affects health. And also be sure to write down point by point how you need to sleep. It goes without saying that everything has links to . Although we, in general, have already talked about the benefits of sleep. And our post-yang chi-ta-te-li could with the pra-vi-la-mi sleep oz-na-ko-m-sya. But on the topic of how sleep affects health, scientific research is regularly coming out, with which it may be useful -let's go. Moreover, repetition is the mother of learning! Therefore, let's just deal with what has become known about dreams in recent times.

But before he talks about how sleep affects health, let’s get to the bottom of how you need to sleep. Because from a practical point of view, this is the most important thing! In view of this, try to follow the following simple rules: (1) sleep every day at the same time, (2) sleep at the same time -si-small-no-the-no-te, (3) before-va-ri-tel-but about-the-wind-ri-wai-te room and (4) you-equal-vai-te temp-pe -ra-tu-ru in a room up to 20–24°C. But if for some reason you are unable to fall asleep normally, then pop-ro-buy: (1) don’t look at blue light before bedtime and (2) medi-ti-ro-vat before going to bed, (3) and also take a hot bath before going to bed, or at least warm up your feet.

What should you not do?

If you don’t get enough sleep every day, you shouldn’t sleep on you -movable. This helps to improve the sleep-wakefulness regime and only ruins your position -nie. Just try to more or less adhere to the norms, and on weekends sleep as much as possible. What is 12–15 hours a day for children, 10–12 hours for teenagers, 7–9 hours for adults, and no less for older people? 6 hours a day. At the same time, try to avoid sleepless nights. Since, as research suggests, even 1 sleepless night can have a seriously negative impact influence on health.

How to sleep correctly?

How does sleep affect your health?

In the most positive way! Because sleep fulfills a lot of vital functions. What can you learn about in our article about benefits of sleep . But not getting enough sleep can have a very serious impact on your health. For example, lack of sleep correlates with the development of anxiety disorders and dep-res-si . In addition, he pro-s-ts-i-ru-et the pi-s-che-ve-de-tion, helping to-s-t-vu-y cop-le-nyu overweight . And also, lack of sleep does not affect sucking the brain , pro-in-ci-ruya development of bo-lez-ni Alts-gay-mera. Well, it goes without saying that the work-ability is not much lower than that of the person ka, from the rest of the time.

Conclusion: you need to sleep adequately and correctly, since you don’t get enough sleep for serious damage to your health and work that-spo-sob-nos-ti. As a result, if a person is not happy because of work, in the long-term he will be able to -the thread of her smaller neck, and not the larger number. It’s just that it won’t work effectively, but not for long. So, show your consciousness and sleep as much as you normally sleep!

Modern man lives in a very active rhythm, so sometimes good sleep there is no time left at all. When the weekend comes or a long-awaited vacation begins, a person tries to make up for lost time and get a good night's sleep. This leads to disruption of the daily routine and failure biological clock in organism. Not all people can answer whether sleeping a lot is harmful, and this is indeed a very interesting question to study. After all, an excess of everything, even sleep, definitely cannot benefit the body.

What is the normal amount of sleep?

What length of rest is considered normal? There are people for whom five hours of sleep is sufficient, while others do not have enough sleep and need ten to twelve hours. But such a long daily sleep, as practice shows, can only do harm. It leads to metabolic disorders, diseases of cardio-vascular system, depression, headache, spinal pain, obesity, occurrence and development diabetes mellitus, and sometimes to a reduction in life expectancy.

Normal sleep for a person is considered to be 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day. If such daily sleep is not enough, then this is a sign possible illness human body.

Moreover, scientists have found that Lack of sleep does not have as negative an impact on a person as too much sleep, which can be dangerous and can even reduce life expectancy. Thus, medical researchers have determined that people who sleep seven to eight hours every day have a life expectancy that is 10-15% longer than people who lie in bed for more than eight hours.

Causes of excessive sleepiness

Increased sleepiness may be a consequence the following reasons and ailments of the human body:

• People are engaged in physical labor, lead an active lifestyle or during working week There were days with insufficient sleep.
• If you don’t sleep at night, but sleep during the day due to your routine and work schedule.
• Seasonal drowsiness, when a person simply lacks light and warmth during the periods of autumn and winter.
• Increased drowsiness as a side effect of taking certain drugs medicines.
• A strong desire to sleep after an evening of drinking and drinking too much.
• By nature, people love to lie in bed on their stomach and back or on some side.
• The emergence and development of specific diseases, such as hypersomnia, syndrome sleep apnea, diabetes and diseases associated with inflammation of the thyroid gland.
• Brain cancers;
• Traumatic brain injuries causing post-traumatic hypersomnia.
• Diseases of the human cardiovascular system.
• Mental state disorders.
• Narcolepsy.
• Somatic diseases.

If a person received severe physical and psychological stress related to stress, then good and a long period rest will not be a hindrance, but, on the contrary, a benefit to health.

However, if such overloads are frequent and regular, they will lead to depression and chronic fatigue, and ultimately to the desire to sleep for a long time.

In medicine, prolonged sleep of the patient is used, the so-called artificial coma method. When undergoing a course of treatment or after receiving a serious injury, the patient is provided with a long rest to protect him from environmental influences, emotional experiences so that the body starts its work immune system and intensified the recovery process.

If a person is drawn to sleep for no reason, then it is necessary to urgently seek qualified medical help.

Responsible for regulating the quality and duration of sleep the whole system, including the cerebral cortex, subcortical, reticular and limbic areas. Disturbances in this system cause the disease – hypersomnia.

Although there are cases when a person sleeps a lot not because of any illness or fatigue, and then such a disease is called idiopathic hypersomnia.

Harmful effects of prolonged rest

After conducting a number of studies by both domestic and foreign scientific and medical staff, It revealed bad influence long sleep, more than nine hours, which consists of the following diseases and symptoms:

• Diabetes and obesity. Flaw physical activity leads to disruption of metabolism and hormone production, which is accompanied by a set of excess weight. Chronic lack of sleep also contributes to the development of diabetes;
• Headache. This problem occurs among people who allow themselves to sleep long hours on weekends and holidays, and also if you sleep during the day, which can disrupt normal night sleep.
• Pain in the spine. Sleeping without a pillow is not always a viable way to combat spinal curvature. Currently doctors do not recommend passive lying, but rather talk about active and healthy way life.
• Depression as a consequence of constant prolonged sleep.
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system. The cause of constant drowsiness may be oxygen starvation in case of cardiac dysfunction.
• Loss of an active lifestyle. Prolonged sleep reduces vital activity, increases passivity, reduces memory, attention and discipline.
• Marriage crisis. If one of the partners sleeps for a long time, misunderstandings in the family may occur.
• Shorter life, as numerous studies by scientists show.

It must be remembered that timely identification of the causes of drowsiness will help to quickly cope with emerging and developing diseases.

How to restore normal sleep

Before visiting a specialist, you can review your daily routine:

1. If possible, follow a daily routine. You should go to bed and wake up at the same time. At the same time, you don’t need to be afraid to sleep on your stomach.
2. You should not eat or watch TV in bed.
3. It is necessary to exercise and do exercises in the morning, especially in the fresh air.
4. Completion of complex tasks should be planned for the first half of the day, so that in the second half you can calmly approach the evening and go to bed.
5. You shouldn't go to bed on an empty stomach, but you shouldn't eat too much, just have a snack..
6. You should refrain from drinking heavily before bed.
7. Avoid drinking alcohol before bed.
8. The sleeping place should be comfortable, with a properly selected bed linen. The room should be quiet and comfortable.

If such measures do not help, then to restore normal, full sleep, you need to contact your doctor, who will conduct a complete medical examination, will identify the cause of this condition and prescribe the optimal course of treatment.

It's no secret that adequate 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 are at risk of getting a bouquet chronic diseases, face cardiovascular pathologies and brain dysfunction. 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 certain medications. 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 a 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, and have impaired social contacts, 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, testosterone production in the body decreases at night, which becomes a prerequisite for the development of diabetes. 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 decreased 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.
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