The duration of sleep of an adult should be 7-8 hours. It is this time that the body needs to fully recover. But how often a couple of hours are not enough to finish all the planned things. Naturally, this time is "stolen" due to rest. As a result, chronic lack of sleep occurs. What threatens such a condition with health?
What is chronic lack of sleep
Initially, let's figure out what kind of condition can be attributed to this pathology. A person who does not get enough sleep every day for several days or even weeks suffers from sleep deficiency. But talking about chronic pathology is still too early. Of course, he is faced with the first negative signs of this phenomenon. But in all its glory, chronic lack of sleep is manifested when a person limits his rest for several months.
A study was recently conducted at the University of Texas. It showed that residents who had not received the required amount of sleep for 7 consecutive nights had genetic changes. Such disorders lead to serious health problems. These are heart diseases , obesity, memory loss.
Therefore, people sleeping 6 hours a day, and sometimes less, should be aware of the serious risks to which they expose their bodies.
Reasons for constant lack of sleep
Inadequate night rest can lead to both internal and external factors. Internal causes include a variety of psychological or physiological problems. And external are various circumstances that do not give the opportunity to go to bed on time or to fully rest.
Consider the most basic factors that most often lead to such a phenomenon as chronic lack of sleep.
Reasons for poor night rest:
- Stress. This is the most common reason for an inferior holiday. In nature, insomnia can be unpleasant memories, problems at work or in personal life, a financial or creative crisis. These factors lead to a decrease in the production of melatonin in the body (sleep hormone). Instead, the synthesis of adrenaline increases. It is he who leads to overexcitation of the nervous system and provokes problems with falling asleep.
- Mental illness. Sometimes insomnia is a symptom of various deviations. It may indicate the development in the body of psychosis, neurosis, manic disorder, prolonged depression.
- Physiological ailments. Very often they cause insomnia in the elderly. Although not even children are protected from such pathologies. Diseases can aggravate in the evening or at night. This interferes with fast falling asleep. Sometimes unpleasant symptoms make you wake up at night. Most often, chronic lack of sleep occurs against the background of the following diseases: diathesis, enuresis, angina pectoris, restless legs syndrome, hormonal failure, joint disease (arthrosis, arthritis), hypertension, obstructive apnea.
- Biological rhythm failure. All human systems are arranged in such a way that in the period from approximately 8 to 10 in the evening the processes in the body begin to slow down. This leads to the fact that a person relaxes and falls asleep. If for a long time the given moment is ignored and the person does not go to bed at the appropriate time, then a violation of the biological rhythm occurs. As a result, a person tosses and turns for a long time in bed and cannot fall asleep.
Main symptoms
With chronic lack of sleep, a person’s condition is a bit like alcohol intoxication. Such a person is characterized by drowsiness, she may have hallucinations and even confusion.
Doctors see this condition as a disease - a sleep disorder. The body is not able to fully recover. This leads to a number of negative violations. First of all, chronic lack of sleep is reflected in the appearance, general condition and character of a person.
Symptoms affecting the nervous system:
- inattention;
- depression and apathy;
- irritability;
- increased emotionality (causeless tears or inappropriate laughter);
- inability to concentrate;
- decreased cognitive abilities (thinking, speaking, memory).
Signs of lack of sleep, affecting the appearance:
- swelling of the eyelids;
- redness of the eye proteins;
- pallor or earthy skin color;
- the formation of dark circles under the eyes;
- rather untidy look.
Symptoms affecting body systems:
- dizziness, headache;
- deterioration in the functioning of the digestive tract (diarrhea, constipation);
- nausea, flatulence;
- exacerbation of chronic ailments;
- decreased immunity;
- susceptibility to colds.
What causes lack of sleep
This condition is quite dangerous. After all, the body may try to compensate for the lack of rest. In other words, a person can fall asleep at any moment, regardless of whether he is at work or driving.
However, this is not the only negative factor that chronic lack of sleep can lead to. The consequences of prolonged neglect of rest can be much more serious.
Doctors, carefully examining this condition, argue that chronic lack of sleep can provoke:
- stroke;
- obesity;
- diabetes;
- serious memory impairment (up to the loss of brain tissue);
- weakening of the immune system;
- the appearance of heart disease;
- oncology of the breast or intestines;
- hypertensive crisis;
- chronic fatigue syndrome;
- the appearance of depression.
Sleep Hygiene Recommendations
Now, knowing what chronic lack of sleep leads to, let's look at how to get rid of this condition.
Initially, read the basic guidelines for sleep hygiene:
- Choose a mattress with medium rigidity.
- Use a low pillow.
- Underwear and bedding should be made from natural fabrics.
- Eliminate annoying factors (clock ticking, draft, flashing electronic sensor).
- Avoid watching movies or reading books of negative content before going to bed.
- 3-4 hours before rest, give up caffeinated products (energy, tea, coffee).
- Do not eat heavy, fatty foods 2 hours before bedtime.
- Go to bed no later than 10-11 o’clock in the evening.
The main methods of treatment
If all the symptoms indicate that you have developed chronic lack of sleep, what should I do in this situation? Initially, the cause of this condition should be eliminated.
In most cases, the following measures are sufficient to improve the quality of sleep:
- Eliminate daytime sleep completely.
- Try to move more during the day (walk, go in for sports).
- Before rest, carry out procedures that can eliminate nervous tension (watching humorous films, calm music, a relaxing bath).
- Be sure to ventilate the bedroom before going to bed.
- Try to go to bed at the same time.
- Do not use alcohol to fall asleep. It provides a hard and shallow rest.
If the basis of chronic lack of sleep are psychological or physiological problems, then you need to contact professionals. Those people who do not have obvious reasons for poor sleep should undergo a full examination.
Folk remedies
Ancient recipes should not be ignored.
Falling asleep and proper rest can provide such means:
- Peony tincture (10%). It is recommended to use 30 drops three times a day for 1 month.
- Green tea with honey. It should be consumed daily, preferably before bedtime.
- Warm milk with honey. This is another great tool that normalizes night sleep. It is recommended to drink 1 glass of drink before bedtime.
If all the methods described above do not help to establish rest, you may need special medication. Therefore, consult a doctor who will select the appropriate therapy.