Insomnia

Main article: Human Son

Lymphocyte count depends on sleep quality

In the 2010s, it was found that the quality of sleep has a significant effect on the number of lymphocytes and their function. If a person chronically lacks sleep, his lymphocyte activity decreases. As a result, a person with insomnia or simply a short sleep duration provides himself with a high vulnerability to any kind of disease.

Two types of insomnia

By origin, there are: primary and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is caused by personal psychophysiological personality characteristics and excludes the presence of somatic, neurological, psychiatric, medicinal causes.

Primary insomnia

Primary insomnia is an independent disease. This disorder is long-lasting and lasts from a month or more. The reasons for the development of this form of the disease may be as follows: severe or prolonged stress, emotional disorder. Insomnia is both a symptom and a cause of the development of depression and anxiety. Since the brain uses the same neurotransmitters for sleep and mood, it is sometimes difficult to understand what was at the beginning - stress or insomnia. But still, stress is more often the cause of insomnia: family problems, financial difficulties and even news that you watched before bed.

Another common factor that causes sleep problems is long flights and jet lag, which causes biorhythms to fail. According to the Russian Society of Somnologists, it is he who causes insomnia in half of Muscovites. In such situations, our brain simply does not have time to change to changes in daylight hours. According to a study by the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), people who work on a shift schedule have lower levels of serotonin and melatonin - the hormones that regulate sleep.

Hormonal changes in menopause, PMS and pregnancy can also be sources of sleep problems among women. Hot flashes, breast sensitivity, frequent urination - all this interrupts normal sleep. About 40% of women of climacteric age have sleep problems, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Winter time in Russia has even those people who have never experienced sleep problems for this ailment. Often this is a consequence of the winter holidays, we do not sleep all New Year's Eve, the next day we wake up in the evening, but lie down later in the morning. This continues throughout the holidays, until we go to work, and as a result, we get insomnia. This is easy to avoid if we gradually recover after New Year's Eve, going to bed every night a little earlier than the previous one. A warm bath and chamomile tea will help you sleep faster.

Secondary insomnia

Secondary insomnia occurs against a background provoked by any disease. In winter, some more specific factors are added, for example, lack of fresh air in the bedroom, lack of physical activity, failure of circadian rhythms, vitamin deficiency and, as a result, chronic fatigue.

The most common species is the secondary. This form develops as a result or side effect of any disease. For example, heart or lung disease, stress and depression, gastrointestinal disorders, thyroid hyperfunction. If you suffer from heart failure, pathological types of breathing can develop, and insomnia occurs as a side effect.

Somnologists say that after 30 years, one in five people starts snoring. For most, it proceeds without health consequences, but in some cases it is a manifestation of apnea - a disorder associated with heart disease and high blood pressure. Two years ago, Russian somnologists proposed to include obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in the list of diseases that should be detected in drivers, especially professional ones, in order to avoid falling asleep while driving.

How to avoid sleep problems

Somnologist JSC "Medicine" (clinic of Academician Reutberg) Maxim Novikov in January 2019 spoke about how to avoid sleep problems in winter in Russia:

• The so-called sleep hygiene disorder, dryness and stuffiness in the bedroom, also have a detrimental effect on sleep. The plastic double-glazed windows popular today are almost airtight and do not allow air to pass. Reduced humidity also negatively affects sleep quality - during the heating season, the batteries greatly dry out the bedroom's' atmosphere '. Electronic humidifiers are very good for such situations, however, in the absence of a special device, a wet towel on a battery can also be suitable.

Another factor in the development of insomnia in winter is poor physical activity. In cold weather, we walk less often, we try to travel by transport, and some forget about simple walks during the cold season. This is very important for the elderly, who no longer go to work, and once again they do not want to go outside in the cold. Short daylight hours are also not conducive to wakefulness. As a result, a person moves little and the body does not require rest.

The risk group also includes office workers who often complain of emotional fatigue. The body requires muscle work to enter the sleep and rest phase well. This problem can be solved by regular training. If there is no opportunity to go to the gym, then you should prefer hiking to transport and do daily exercises - this will help keep your muscles in good shape. As you know, physical activity contributes to the production of endorphins, and its level is directly related to our mood. Thus, giving our body physical activity, we also increase our intellectual performance, because with a good mood we are faster and more willing to perform tasks.

Nutrition is also an important factor affecting our sleep. For example, berries are useful for improving sleep quality - cherries and cherries are filled with melatonin. Experts recommend eating a handful of these berries before bed, taking them on the road or trip. In winter, you can replace juice. But it is better for motorists not to eat such a product on the road. Warm milk also has a hypnotic effect. Another product to look out for is oven-cooked potatoes. This simple dish does not overload the stomach and suck up negative acids. In addition, oatmeal with added honey will be a useful snack for sleeping. If you fail to fall asleep due to depression or negative emotions, eat a teaspoon of flax seeds before bedtime. White meat, namely turkey clipping, will also help normalise sleep. Almonds, walnuts, whole grain bread, wheat products, vegetables, herbs, as well as fruits are all those products that will help your body, establish sleep in winter.

Technologies for treating insomnia

2024: Special glasses for insomnia released

At the end of August 2024, the company Re-Time Pty Ltd introduced special glasses from insomnias Retimer 3. According to the developers, the device improves sleep quality, reduces stress and improves performance by adjusting circadian rhythms. More here

2023

A device worn on the head to treat insomnia has entered the market. It should be put on 30 minutes before bedtime

On 31 October 2023, Belfast-based Neurovalens announced the release of the Modius Sleep device for the treatment of chronic insomnia. This head-worn gadget provides non-invasive electrical stimulation of key areas of the brain and nervous system. Read more here.

Doctors start using new acoustic stimulation neurotechnology to treat insomnia

In mid-February 2023, the medical and technological company Cereset presented the neurotechnology of closed-loop acoustic stimulation, which, according to the developers, can treat insomnia. Read more here.

2022: Drug-free insomnia app released

Dawn Health released a drug-free insomnia app in early February 2022. The $60-a-month service offers evidence-based therapy based on cognitive behavioral therapy from Andreas Meistad, integrated with a sleep tracker. Read more here.

Sleep devices

Main article: Devices for improving sleep