Restless sleep: why does it occur and how to deal with it?

Causes of the condition

There are many options to explain the constant morning fatigue. To figure out which one is right for you, you need to do some self-analysis. The cause may be a health problem or poor lifestyle.

Possible diseases that cause sleep disorders:

1. Any chronic diseases accompanied by pain or other unpleasant sensations in the body. If such diseases are the cause, then they should be treated by appropriate specialists.
2. Disorders that cause respiratory arrest at night.
3. Restless legs syndrome.

If morning fatigue is associated with an incorrect lifestyle, then you need to reconsider your daily routine, eating behavior and identify the presence of bad habits. The most common reasons:

1. Falling asleep after midnight.
2. Inconsistency between sleep patterns and biological rhythms.
3. Intermittent sleep.
4. Bad habits – alcoholism, smoking, coffee abuse.
5. Non-compliance with the daily routine.
6. Uncomfortable conditions for a night's rest.
7. Worries, stress, fears make you wake up in the middle of the night and prevent you from falling asleep again.
8. If a person feels uncomfortable when falling asleep - he cannot fall asleep for a long time, is looking for a position, is nervous - this may be caused by the inconvenience of the bed, bedding, lack of silence or darkness.

With vitamin deficiency, the body works in an economical mode. Energy expenditure is low, so there is not enough strength to do the usual work.

If the search for the reasons does not lead to anything, you can try taking multivitamins. Perhaps it's a lack of them. The loss of strength is especially felt against the background of low hemoglobin. A complete blood test will help diagnose vitamin deficiency.

Be careful with melatonin!

– Can you just take some sleeping pills yourself? Nowadays they like to prescribe themselves, for example, melatonin?

– This is still a drug containing a hormone. It is common in society to be afraid of hormone therapy, but for some reason this does not apply to melatonin. Although it is one of the important regulators of the work of all organs and systems, external interference in physiological processes is fraught with their desynchronization.

According to our physiology, the maximum level of melatonin occurs at a certain hour of the night, and it sets the clock for the metabolism of glucose, sex hormones, brain activity, muscles, etc.

If we take melatonin from an external source at a completely different time than when we normally produce it, then the rest of our cycle is shifted. This can affect the ovulatory cycle in women, performance, etc. Probably, a single dose in a generally healthy person will not change the situation much. But if you have a tendency towards insomnia, then a chaotic reception will only do harm.

Secondly, and most importantly: there are many causes of insomnia; lack of melatonin is not at the top of the list. Therefore, it makes no sense for everyone who has trouble falling asleep to take melatonin. Especially young people, for whom it is a priori normal.

There is a situation when you can take melatonin without a doctor’s prescription - jet lag. When flying to a region with a time difference of more than two hours. A single or double dose will physiologically coincide with the circadian clock of the region you are visiting.

In all other cases, when it is insomnia, then only as prescribed by a doctor.

– Can you drink the herbal tinctures and dietary supplements that are now actively advertised?

– Both dietary supplements and herbs can be different. They may contain such strong drugs that psychiatrists are hesitant to prescribe them.

Well, if it’s ordinary valerian with motherwort, or a well-known collection with soft substances - mint, lemon balm, again valerian and motherwort, then perhaps you can drink it yourself.

Clinical manifestations

If a person does not get enough sleep, then he feels sleepy not only in the morning, but throughout the day. Among the main complaints of such people:

• “I can’t get enough sleep, even if I sleep for a long time”;
• “I can fall asleep for a split second even at work”;
• “I can’t work fully: my attention is scattered all the time, preventing me from concentrating, I have no mood, no strength”;
• “I want to sleep all the time.”

If these disorders are caused by sleep apnea, then the person wakes up several times during the night, but does not remember it in the morning. Holding your breath can be recorded by the patient's relatives.

Restless legs syndrome is characterized by uncontrolled movement of the lower extremities, which causes increased brain activity. It is believed that this disease is characteristic of pensioners, but there are cases of manifestations in young people.

Coffee lovers are also at risk. If the consumption of this invigorating drink is not controlled, then caffeine addiction occurs. As a result, after waking up, a person feels drowsy until the body receives the next portion of coffee.

Reluctant larks and teenage owls

– Are owls and larks also an innate feature, or are they all myths? Is it possible for an owl to learn to be a morning person and vice versa?

-We are born owls or larks. Over the course of our lives, due to social conditions, we may develop habits that are different from our circadian cycle. But, for example, if there is some kind of long vacation, we most often return to the original type. And when we retire, most people become who they were born.

Circadian rhythm

These are cyclical fluctuations in the intensity of biological processes associated with the change of day and night. Scientists also call the circadian rhythm the human biological clock.

– I have a feeling that older people are all early risers. They go to bed early and get up early.

- No, they are different. And early awakening in old age is not associated with the circadian cycle, but with the fact that the elderly have very low levels of melatonin, the hormone responsible for our circadian rhythm; it is depleted in the early morning hours, and the person wakes up. Therefore, most people over 55 years of age have some degree of insomnia. Moreover, more often the problem is not falling asleep, but waking up early

– Parents of teenagers often complain that their child has trouble falling asleep. They toss and turn until late and don’t sleep.

– Yes, teenagers have another problem – falling asleep late. During this period, all the functions of the endocrine glands are reorganized. During a growth spurt, adolescent adrenal hyperfunction occurs when the adrenal glands secrete a huge amount of stress hormones.

These hormones are one of the main regulators in the sleep-wake cycle. At their minimum we fall asleep in the evening and at their maximum we wake up in the morning.

If there are no pathological daytime dysfunctions - involuntary falling asleep in class, starting to fall behind in school - then this is a variant of the norm.

If you still have the pathological daytime symptoms that I have listed, then this is a reason to go to the doctor.

How to normalize sleep

If chronic lack of sleep is not associated with diseases, then you can cope with this condition on your own. What to do in each specific case:

1. Those suffering from sleep deprivation should follow the rules of a healthy lifestyle. It is advisable to consume food and drinks for the last time 2-3 hours before going to bed. Immediately before this, you need to do something relaxing, but not strenuous work. There should be room for walks during the day. Fresh air saturates with oxygen, and the sun's rays contribute to the production of vitamins necessary for the body. Physical activity is also important for a person. Its absence can cause insomnia.
2. It has been proven that the best time to fall asleep is before 22:00. It is in the interval from 22:00 to 00:00 that the body rests and recuperates. Even if your sleep time is more than 8 hours, but you went to bed after 00:00, your condition will be characterized by weakness, absent-mindedness, and loss of strength. Another condition is that sleep should not be interrupted. If this happens, you should increase the rest period by several hours.
3. To get rid of the bad habit of drinking coffee in excess throughout the day, you need to stop drinking the drink for at least two weeks and monitor your condition. If the morning has become cheerful and active, then the reason for lack of sleep is the effect of caffeine.
4. Equally important is the comfort of the bed. First of all, the bed must meet all safety requirements and fit the body size. Linen and bedding should be made from natural hypoallergenic material. The room needs to be ventilated at night.
5. The consequences of daytime stress can be eliminated on your own. To do this, before going to bed, you need to carry out relaxing procedures in the form of baths, massages, listening to meditative music and others.

In any case, the problem must be solved, otherwise constant drowsiness will lead to neurosis and depression.

Optimal conditions for sleep

To decorate your bedroom, it is better to choose the quietest room, the windows of which do not face a busy street. The bed should be spacious and as comfortable as possible. Pay special attention to choosing a mattress. It should be neither too hard nor too soft, and should provide the body with the opportunity to relax as much as possible. It is better to choose a low pillow so that the spine remains in a straight position while sleeping.

When choosing bedding, give preference to natural, breathable materials. The best option is 100% cotton underwear.

Sleep will be healthier and more sound if you sleep in complete darkness. Always turn off the lights at night and cover the windows with thick curtains or blinds. If you get up to go to the toilet at night, try not to turn on a bright lamp. A night light with a reddish light is best; it will not interrupt the production of melatonin.

It is also very important to breathe fresh air, so the room must be well ventilated. Keep in mind that in 1 hour an adult processes about 3 cubic liters of oxygen. To refresh the air, it is better to leave the window ajar.

The optimal temperature in the bedroom is 20-22 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the body fully relaxes, but does not overheat. If this temperature seems cool, dress warmly and cover yourself with a warm blanket, but keep your head cool.

When going to bed, try not to think about problems, better think about something pleasant, or even better - completely get rid of thoughts and concentrate on your breathing.

What else needs to be considered

If you follow the above recommendations every day, you will fall asleep faster, sleep will become more sound, and in the morning you will feel cheerful and full of energy. If sleep still does not return to normal, there may be some health problems or a lack of certain substances. You should not self-medicate and resort to sleeping pills. They are aimed at fighting the effect, not the cause. In addition, sleeping pills quickly become addictive, and then the problems will only get worse.

To find out the cause of insomnia and find the appropriate treatment, it is best to consult a doctor. You can find a qualified specialist in Volgograd, Volzhsky and Mikhailovka at DIALINE clinics. We provide a wide range of medical services. All patients are accepted by appointment, eliminating the need to wait in line. To quickly and easily make an appointment with specialists and gain access to additional opportunities, we recommend registering in your personal account on our website.