Sleep disturbance. Causes, types of disorders and methods of treatment, structure of normal sleep

Insomnia (another name is insomnia ) is a sleep disorder in a person in which there is either insufficient duration of sleep or poor quality of sleep. These phenomena in insomnia can be combined and continue for a long time.

When determining whether a person suffers from insomnia, the doctor does not take into account the absolute duration of sleep, that is, how many hours a person sleeps a day. The fact is that for different people good rest Different amounts of sleep are required.

Medical statistics show that from 30% to 50% people have periodic sleep problems, and 10% chronic insomnia is noted. Sleep disturbances are more common in women.

How does insomnia manifest?

Chronic insomnia a person experiences constant difficulties in falling asleep. Throughout the night, the person who is experiencing chronic insomnia , wakes up many times. As a result, the patient experiences general dissatisfaction with sleep: he sleeps fewer hours than required for full recovery, and in the morning he feels exhausted and not rested.

Insomnia at night leads to the fact that the patient's duration of deep sleep decreases, the ratio of deep and deep sleep is disrupted. REM sleep.

It should be understood that sleep disturbance in adults and children is not separate disease, but a symptom. At the same time, disruption of night sleep can lead to a serious deterioration in a person’s quality of life. Often observed disturbance of sleep and wakefulness : A tired person after a bad night's sleep is forced to sleep for a while during the day to regain strength. To eliminate this symptom and find the cause of its manifestation, it is important not to delay contacting a sleep disorder center or another medical institutions. Specialists make a diagnosis, determine what types of sleep disorders occur in patients and prescribe appropriate treatment.

To one degree or another, insomnia constantly or periodically worries many people. The fact that poor sleep in an adult disrupts the harmonious flow of his life rhythms is easy to determine by a person’s appearance. He feels bad after sleep, there is severe fatigue and lethargy. On the face of someone who is resting poorly in a dream, swelling under the eyes , observed redness of the eyes , dry lips . The patient may complain that he has bad dreams. During the day, a person suffering from insomnia may feel sleepy almost all the time, while at night he cannot fall asleep, or falls asleep and immediately wakes up. Performance is noticeably reduced, and symptoms may appear various diseases associated with chronic lack of sleep.

Conditionally determined the following types sleep disorders: presomnic , intrasomnic And post-somnia disorders . This classification is carried out depending on certain symptoms.

People who suffer presomnia sleep disorders have difficulty falling asleep. A person suffers from obsessive thoughts , fears , anxiety . Sometimes he cannot fall asleep for several hours. Neurotic sleep disorders of this type are aggravated by the fact that the patient realizes that the next day everything can happen again. But if a person falls asleep, his sleep remains normal.

People with intrasomnic sleep disorders They fall asleep more or less normally, after which they constantly wake up at night for various reasons. Such people are often overcome by night terrors associated with bad dreams. After each awakening, it is difficult for a person to fall asleep. As a result, in the morning the patient feels severe weakness and weakness.

At post-somnia sleep disorders both falling asleep and sleeping are absolutely normal. But a person wakes up very early, and falling asleep again does not occur. As a result, the duration of sleep is shorter than is required for proper rest of the body.

Why does insomnia occur?

Insomnia worries people suffering from a variety of diseases. The causes of insomnia in girls and boys are often associated with severe mental stress, serious experiences, significant physical activity. For example, in adolescents, the causes of poor sleep are often associated with overload at school; insomnia in children can be triggered by physical overload. However, a person who experiences symptoms associated with poor sleep may be completely healthy.

Insomnia in humans develops as a consequence, that is, a lack of oxygen in the human body. Hypoxia leads to dysfunction of a number of organs, which in turn worsens general condition body.

The causes of insomnia in men and women are also often associated with, cardiovascular diseases , mental illness , neuroinfections . People who have suffered brain damage, in particular to those areas of the brain that are responsible for regulating periods of sleep and wakefulness, often wonder why insomnia plagues them.

The causes of sleep disorders are very often associated with stress or mental overload. A person who has experienced a psychologically traumatic situation notes constant violations sleep, weakness, weakness. Why poor sleep affects performance is clear to everyone. Therefore, it is important to avoid as much as possible stressful situations and protect the psyche from shocks.

Sleep disturbances, both in old age and in middle-aged women and men, can be explained by disturbances in blood flow in the central nervous system, changes intracranial pressure .

In addition, the causes of sleep disturbance in adults are sometimes associated with the fact that a person stays awake at night due to work, entertainment or other reasons. If there is a change in time zones while traveling, the traveler may also suffer from insomnia. In this case, the answer to the question of what to do if you suffer from insomnia is not found until the human body adapts to the new time zone.

Sleep disorders - current problem for people who abuse drugs, psychoactive substances, sleeping pills, tranquilizers. Night sleep disorder is also observed in those who regularly drink alcohol. Complaints of being tormented by insomnia are noted both on days when a person is intoxicated and after a binge. Sleep disturbances are often present in those who suffer from neuroses.

Insomnia is often observed in expectant mothers in different periods. What to do during pregnancy in order to adjust the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness cannot be decided without consulting a doctor.

However, insomnia during pregnancy is generally considered completely normal. Sleep disturbances can begin as early as early stages pregnancy. For many women, insomnia begins already in the first trimester of pregnancy. This occurs due to the effects of hormonal imbalance. An increase in the level of other hormones leads to the fact that a woman’s body sometimes cannot achieve the proper level of relaxation. Therefore, insomnia in some cases is even perceived as indirect sign pregnancy.

Insomnia during late pregnancy is associated with physiological reasons. Considering the anatomy of the expectant mother, it is easy to explain why insomnia in pregnant women is a common companion during this period of life. The weight increases, the belly grows, the fetus moves more and more often, so it is very difficult for a woman to sleep peacefully at night. In addition, due to the pressure of the uterus on bladder a woman has to go to the toilet several times every night. Your doctor will tell you how to deal with these phenomena. After all, there are a number of simple rules that can make the condition of the expectant mother at least a little easier.

Insomnia in children of the first year of life most often associated with intestinal colic, teething. Newborns gradually adapt digestive system, which leads to discomfort associated with colic. Sleep disturbance in a teething baby also occurs due to a strong increase in saliva production. It accumulates in the throat, causing the child to wake up. Early insomnia may also be associated with the child’s reaction to the food he eats. Sometimes a child develops allergic reaction for some food products. The most common allergies are to cow's milk, however, the baby’s body may react ambiguously to other foods. Due to allergies to foods that the mother eats, even insomnia may occur in an infant.

Sleep disturbances in children are observed when the body is infected pinworms , which cause very severe itching in the area anus, laying eggs there. Therefore, if a child 10 years of age or older has insomnia, he should definitely be tested for worms.

It happens that a child’s sleep disturbance occurs due to ear infections . This is a disease in small child it is very difficult to recognize, and sometimes sleep disorder in children is the only symptom ear infection. When the child lies down, the fluid that appears as a result of the infection presses on the eardrum. In an upright position, pain and pressure are reduced. Consequently, the child cannot sleep peacefully.

Insomnia in older children can be observed due to excess activity, both physical and mental. Sometimes childhood insomnia develops due to a violation of the nightly ritual to which the baby is accustomed. Children after the age of three often wake up in the middle of the night if they have a very strong imagination. In this case, they are prevented from having a normal rest by the fears that their own imagination generates.

How to get rid of insomnia?

Sometimes insomnia occurs in a person from time to time. However, if difficulties falling asleep are isolated, then you should not worry about this. If a person has experienced a strong emotional shock , he may have trouble sleeping one or more nights. After this, normal sleep is restored without treatment.

But if difficulty falling asleep and sleep disturbances occur at least once a week, then it is worth thinking about how to treat insomnia in men and women.

People who periodically suffer from sleep disorders should think about how to get rid of insomnia. Gradually, such episodes can develop into chronic insomnia, and then the answer to the question of how to overcome insomnia will become much more difficult.

Chronic insomnia gradually causes mental health disorders . If a person does not take care of how to cure insomnia in time, he may experience depression, anxiety attacks, panic attacks. Over time, such diseases worsen, so the question of how to deal with insomnia is extremely relevant for patients with symptoms of sleep disorders. If home methods and ways to combat insomnia do not achieve the desired effect, you should definitely find out where such disorders are treated and consult a doctor. He will give detailed recommendations on how to treat insomnia. You can find out which doctor treats sleep disorders at your nearest clinic. You can also learn how to treat sleep disorders from specialists who treat diseases that cause sleep disorders.

Sometimes in order to accomplish effective treatment insomnia at home, it is enough to follow very simple rules that are accessible to everyone. For example, chronic insomnia in some cases disappears after a person moves out of town for a while, sleeps in the fresh air and in complete silence. Treatment of sleep disorders requires the maximum elimination of stressful situations and emotional stress from a person’s life.

Treatment of a sleep disorder involves eliminating those diseases that interfere with normal sleep. For example, a person may suffer from insomnia due to aching tooth, infectious disease etc. In this case, treatment of insomnia folk remedies will not be effective, since the treatment of insomnia is inextricably linked with the treatment of the ailments that provoked it.

IN modern medicine apply different means treatment of insomnia. These include medications, hypnosis treatment, and serious changes in habits and lifestyle. Prescribing treatment for insomnia at or during pregnancy , the doctor must take into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.

During menopause Women very often experience sleep disturbances, so women are trying to find an effective remedy for insomnia during menopause. After all, sleep disorder significantly worsens the quality of life of a woman entering menopause. After all, with nighttime insomnia there is a constant drowsiness and a feeling of exhaustion during the day. However, getting rid of sleep disturbances during menopause is sometimes possible without much difficulty. For some women, the most effective remedy for insomnia is good ventilation of the bedroom before bed . The bedroom should be cool. Just before going to bed, you should not watch TV or sit in front of the monitor. You should also have dinner about four hours before bedtime. Often women note that the most the best remedy For them, insomnia is treated with a long warm bath. This procedure helps you relax.

Folk remedies against insomnia also allow you to achieve normal sleep. An excellent method is to regularly drink herbal teas with a sedative effect. It is recommended to brew teas from lemon balm, valerian, mint, and chamomile. You can use it for some time pharmacy tinctures these herbs. But if, after implementing these rules, insomnia still cannot be overcome, you must definitely contact a specialist who will prescribe medicinal drugs against insomnia. Properly selected pills will significantly improve a woman’s condition.

In some cases, modern medications for insomnia help restore normal sleep. Medications for sleep disturbances, it should be taken by people who are susceptible to stress , depression . However, sleeping pills should not be taken continuously. Only from time to time, under the supervision of a doctor, can you undergo a short course of treatment with sleeping pills. Often, for chronic insomnia, homeopathic medicines are prescribed, as well as a variety of herbal preparations. However, taking such drugs must be accompanied by serious lifestyle adjustments.

For chronic insomnia in older people, you need to use it very carefully. hypnotic . Insomnia medications for the elderly can eventually lead to serious dependence on such drugs. As a result, regular use of such medications leads to the manifestation side effects, in particular, to changes in consciousness and thinking processes. Even those sleeping pills that are sold in pharmacies without a prescription can cause serious side effects such as decreased blood pressure, nausea, anxiety and restlessness. In addition, even the best medicine for insomnia loses its effectiveness over time due to the body’s addiction to it. Therefore, a specialist will tell you what medications you need to take and how to properly approach treatment for insomnia in old age.

However, for a person of any age who suffers from a sleep disorder, it is advisable to initially ask the doctor which pills for insomnia will help get rid of this problem, and the treatment will be without addiction and side effects. It is necessary to focus specifically on the treatment regimen prescribed by a specialist, and not on the prices of pills or the names of pills that a person suffering from insomnia heard from friends. By purchasing sleep aids without a prescription, the patient risks worsening his own condition over time.

You can also find out from your doctor what herbs help with insomnia. Tea for which it is used herbal collection , you can drink regularly for a long time. It will help you relax, calm down and fall asleep peacefully.

To overcome problems associated with sleep disturbances, you should definitely take care of changing your usual lifestyle. Experts have proven that implementing certain rules, even without medications, can improve the quality of your sleep. A good effect can be obtained by performing special relaxation exercises. It could be respiratory gymnastics , meditation , yoga .

The so-called cognitive behavioral therapy , which is one of the methods of psychotherapy. The patient consults with a specialist and actively discusses sleep problems, which makes it possible to determine the causes of this phenomenon and overcome them.

Changes that it is advisable to introduce into your own rhythm of life, is more active image life, improvement of diet and meal schedule, correction of sleep schedule. Experts recommend going to bed and waking up at the same time all seven days of the week. In this case, daytime sleep should be completely excluded.

You should not lie in bed reading or watching television. A bed is a place only for sleeping. IN evening time It is better to exclude all those actions that lead to stress and excessive tension.

Under no circumstances should you eat before bed, as satiety will only worsen insomnia. There is also no need to drink a lot of fluids before going to bed, because the need to empty the bladder can disrupt restful sleep.

The child should sleep in a cool, well-ventilated room. There should be no extraneous sounds or light in the bedroom; you need a comfortable, moderately hard bed. The baby himself should go to bed in a calm and friendly mood. You cannot quarrel, scold your child before bedtime, or play very active games with him.

As a rule, treatment of insomnia in children with the help of medications is practiced when all other methods do not help. Even infusions of herbs that have sedative effect , children can only take it after a doctor approves this method. As a rule, to treat insomnia in children, doctors recommend using psychotherapy, gymnastics, and special exercises for calming and developing imagination. Using best practices treatment, sleep disorders in children can be overcome without medications.

Doctors

Medicines

List of sources

Insomnia: modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches / Ed. Ya.I. Levina. M.: Medpraktika-M, 2005;
Komarov F.I., Rapoport S.I., Malinovskaya N.K. and others. Melatonin in normal and pathological conditions. M: Medpraktika, 2004;
Kovrov G.V., Vein A.M. Stress and sleep in humans. M.: Neuromedia; 2004;
Golubev V. L. (ed.). Autonomic disorders: clinic, treatment, diagnosis: A guide for doctors. M.: LLC "Medical information agency"; 2010;
Rasskazova E.I. Violations psychological self-regulation for neurotic insomnia: Dis. ...cand. ped. Sci. M., 2008.

Kalinov Yuri Dmitrievich

Reading time: 7 minutes

Sleep disturbance in adults is the scourge of our time. Often problems with night rest, insomnia and other disorders cause serious illnesses. Why do they appear and how to get rid of them?

Strong healthy sleep allows a person to relax and recharge with energy for the whole day. The modern rhythm of life and constant stress lead to the fact that about a third of the population suffers from insomnia, or insomnia. Insufficient night rest leads to a deterioration in the quality of life and increases the likelihood of developing dangerous diseases. Therefore, it is important to identify the cause of the problem in time and begin treatment.

Types and symptoms of sleep disorders (insomnia)

Rest needs vary from person to person. For some, six hours is enough to fully restore strength, while others need to sleep at least eight to nine. Problems due to lack of sleep at night may occur periodically or have chronic nature. There are several types of deviations with different symptoms:

Presomnia disorder, or difficulty falling asleep. A person may toss and turn in bed for hours trying to fall asleep. This is usually accompanied by obsessive thoughts and anxiety.
Intrasomnic. A person wakes up many times a night for no apparent reason, after which it is difficult for him to fall asleep again. Sleep is often accompanied by nightmares.
Post-somnia – short sleep, early awakening. Many people dream of learning to get up early, but in this case the person does not feel that he got enough sleep because the amount of rest was insufficient. This is a reason to think about your health and eliminate sleep disturbances.

Another sign of somnological problems is the constant feeling that night rest, even with a normal duration, does not give the required effect. The person feels “broken” and tired.

If such symptoms do not go away for a long time, it is recommended to seek help from a specialist. Frequent awakenings at night may have serious consequences for health: immunity decreases, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, breast cancer, obesity.

How would you characterize the sleep disorder that is bothering you?

Poll Options are limited because JavaScript is disabled in your browser.

Difficulty falling asleep: I can toss and turn in bed for several hours. 39%, 361 voice

I constantly wake up in the middle of the night, and then it is difficult to fall back to sleep. 31%, 285 votes

Sleep does not bring a feeling of rest, regardless of the number of hours spent in bed. I always want to sleep! 17%, 156 votes

I wake up too early in the morning, regardless of my bedtime. 13%, 125 votes

12.03.2018

Do you spend hours trying to force yourself to fall asleep, even if you are very tired during the day? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall asleep for several hours, anxiously glancing at the clock? If yes, then you have insomnia, which is by far the most common sleep problem.

Insomnia drains our energy, negatively affects our mood and labor activity during the day. Chronic insomnia may even contribute to the development of diseases cardiovascular system, increased blood pressure, as well as diabetes. But you don't have to put up with insomnia. Simple changes in your lifestyle and daily habits can put an end to sleepless nights.

What is insomnia?
Insomnia is the inability of the body to receive for one reason or another required quantity sleep, which is required for the body to rest. Since everyone is different, the amount of sleep everyone needs will vary. Insomnia is characterized by the quality of your sleep and how you feel afterwards, not by the number of hours you sleep or how quickly you fall asleep.

Although insomnia is the most common complaint among patients, it may not in all cases be due to sleep disturbances. Insomnia may be caused by large number coffee drunk during the day, overexertion during the day, etc. Despite the many factors that contribute to the development of insomnia, in most cases it is treatable.

Symptoms of insomnia:

Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired.
Frequent awakenings at night.
Trouble falling asleep after waking up at night.
Superficial sleep.
Using sleeping pills or alcohol to help you fall asleep.
Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, irritability.
Difficulty concentrating during the day.

Causes of insomnia:
In order to properly treat and cure insomnia, it is necessary to understand its cause. Emotional problems, such as stress, anxiety and depression are the cause of insomnia in more than half of the cases. But your habits and physical condition also play an important role in the development of insomnia. You must try to consider everything possible reasons insomnia. Once you find out the cause, appropriate treatment can be given.

Common mental and physical causes of insomnia.
Sometimes insomnia lasts only a few days and goes away on its own, this is especially true in cases of jet lag, stress on the eve of an upcoming presentation, or a painful breakup. Chronic insomnia is usually associated with a mental or physical problem.

Psychological problems that can cause insomnia include depression, anxiety, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder. Another problem with insomnia may be the medications you are taking. Among them are antidepressants contained in alcohol, painkillers that contain caffeine, diuretics, corticosteroids, hormonal drugs for thyroid gland.

The cause of insomnia may be various diseases, such as asthma, allergies, Parkinson's disease, hyperthyroidism (increased thyroid function), acid reflux (reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus), kidney disease, cancer.

Sleep disturbances or disorders that may cause insomnia: sleep apnea (cessation of pulmonary ventilation during sleep), narcolepsy (attacks of intractable sleepiness), syndrome restless legs characterized by unpleasant sensations in lower limbs, which appear at rest and force the patient to make movements that facilitate them, which often leads to disruption.

Anxiety and depression are the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Most people suffering from anxiety disorders or depression have trouble sleeping. Moreover, lack of sleep can worsen these symptoms. If your insomnia is caused by constant feeling anxiety or depression, then treatment will have a psychological focus.

The first step towards curing insomnia is its treatment, taking into account the physical and psychological problems of the patient. In addition, the patient's daily habits should be taken into account, which in most cases only aggravate the problem (for example, drinking alcohol or sleeping pills, increased consumption coffee). Often, changing habits that make insomnia worse is enough to solve the insomnia problem altogether.

Habits that make insomnia worse.

consuming large amounts of caffeine;
alcohol and cigarettes before bedtime;
sleep during the day;
irregular sleep patterns.

Some of our habits have become so tightly integrated into our lives that we do not even consider them as possible factors contributing to the development of insomnia (late night watching TV or the Internet). In order to determine the impact of your sleep habits, you need to keep a diary in which you record your behavior and daily habits that contribute to your insomnia. For example, this could include when you go to bed, when you wake up, what you eat and drink, and any stressful events that happen during the day.

What will help you fall asleep?

The bedroom should be quiet, dark and cool. Noise, light and heat interfere with sleep.
You should maintain a regular sleep schedule. It is necessary to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends and despite being tired. This will help restore a regular sleep rhythm.
Don't sleep during the day. Napping during the day can make it difficult to fall asleep in the evening. If you feel that you need sleep, you can limit it to thirty minutes and no later than three o'clock in the afternoon.
Avoid stimulating activities and stressful situations before bed. These include vigorous exercise, emotional discussions, television, computer, video games.
Limit or avoid the use of nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. If life without coffee is unthinkable for you, then the last cup should be drunk no later than eight hours before bedtime. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but the quality of your sleep worsens. You should also not smoke at night, since nicotine has a stimulating effect on the body.

Preparing the brain for sleep.
In order to regulate the circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle), our brain produces the hormone melatonin. For example, when there is insufficient light during the day, our brain, under the influence of melatonin, gives a signal that we want to sleep, and conversely, a large amount of artificial light at night suppresses the production of melatonin, as a result of which we experience difficulty falling asleep.

To help naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle and prepare your brain for sleep, you should:

Provide adequate lighting during the day.
Do not overuse artificial light at night. To increase melatonin production, you can use low-wattage lamps, and also avoid turning on the TV and computer at least an hour before bed. If you can't keep your bedroom dark, you can use an eye mask.

Insomnia: medications and treatment methods.
The more problems you have with sleep, the more you think about them. You deliberately don't go to bed at night certain time, because you know that you won’t be able to fall asleep right away and will toss and turn. Your thoughts are busy with how you will look tomorrow at an important meeting without getting enough sleep. Anticipation of insomnia, as studies have shown, only makes it worse. Thoughts about insomnia prevent you from relaxing at night. Here are some behavioral strategies that will prepare your body for sleep and your brain will associate your bed with a place to sleep.

Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex. You cannot read, watch TV, or work on the computer while in bed. Your brain should associate your bed with a place to sleep, signaling to your body that it's time to sleep when you get into bed.
If you cannot sleep, you should not be in bed at this moment. Don't try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning in bed only contributes to the development of anxiety. In this case, you need to leave the bedroom and do something relaxing, for example, take a warm, relaxing bath, drink a warm cup of caffeine-free tea, you can even read or listen to calm, quiet music. After you begin to feel sleepy, you should return to the bedroom.
You should not display a clock in your bedroom. When we are unable to sleep, we anxiously look at the clock, knowing that the alarm will ring soon. Anxiety increases over time, causing insomnia to worsen. You can use an alarm clock, but it must be out of your line of sight.

To combat insomnia, you should turn your negative thoughts about insomnia into a positive one.

The thought “I must sleep every night to be in good shape” is replaced with “Many people effectively struggle with insomnia, I can do it too.”
The thought “Every night I suffer from insomnia” is replaced with “not every night I suffer from insomnia, some nights I sleep better.”
The thought “If I don’t get enough sleep, tomorrow will be in jeopardy.” important event at work" is replaced with "despite my fatigue, everything will be fine at work. Even if I can’t sleep, in the evening I can relax and unwind.”
We replace the thought “I will never be able to sleep properly” with “Insomnia can be treated. If I stop worrying so much and focus on the positive, I can beat her.”
The thought “It will be at least an hour before I can fall asleep” is replaced with “I don’t know what will happen tonight. Maybe I can sleep.”

Of course, the ability to replace negative thoughts that prevent you from falling asleep with positive ones is not easy and will take time and practice. You can create your own list, taking into account the negative thoughts you have and their positive counterparts.

If you feel unable to release stress at the end of the day, you can use various relaxation techniques to help relieve tension throughout your body. Relaxation techniques can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep when you wake up at night. The benefits are obvious. There is no need to use medications.

Various relaxation techniques will help you achieve relaxation:

deep breathing;
progressive muscle relaxation;
meditation;
visualization;
yoga;
tai chi;

It takes regular practice to use these techniques to relieve tension.

Relaxation techniques to make falling asleep easier:

Relaxation before bed. To get a good night's rest, you need to do something calm and relaxing in the evening. For example, read, listen to quiet music, knit. Make the lights dim.
Abdominal breathing. Most of us don't breathe as deeply as we should. When we breathe deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the abdomen, lower back, and rib cage, it helps our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the relaxation process. Close your eyes and try to take a deep and slow breath, each subsequent one should be deeper than the previous one. You should inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Try to make each exhalation longer than your inhalation.
Progressive muscle relaxation. Take a comfortable lying position. Starting with your leg, tighten the muscles as hard as you can. Count to ten and then relax. Continue doing this exercise with each muscle group, starting from your feet to the top of your head.

Biologically active additives from insomnia.
As a rule, those who have difficulty sleeping at night begin to independently use various medications to help with insomnia. Before you drink them, you should know that there are many dietary and herbal supplements that have hypnotic effect. Although they may claim to be natural on the packaging, they can have a host of side effects and may have a negative impact when combined with other medications or vitamins you are taking. To receive additional information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

To date, two remedies have proven their effectiveness against insomnia - melatonin and valerian. Melatonin is a natural hormone that the body produces at night. Melatonin is also available as a dietary supplement. Although melatonin doesn't help everyone, it can help effective means treating insomnia if you are, for example, a night owl with a natural tendency to go to bed and wake up much later than others. Valerian has a mild sedative effect that will make falling asleep easier.

Sleeping pill for insomnia.
Although sleeping pills can help you fall asleep, it is important to understand that they are not a cure for insomnia. Permanent use sleeping pills and large doses lead to aggravation of the problem of insomnia in the future. It is best to use sleeping pills in exceptional cases and for a short period of time, when no other method helps (changes in sleep patterns, daily routine, attitude towards sleep). Experience shows that lifestyle and behavior changes improve sleep and make it easier to fall asleep.

If none of the methods listed above helps you, you should contact a specialist.

When to apply for professional help for insomnia:

If your insomnia does not respond to self-help strategies.
If your insomnia is causing serious problems at home, work or school.
If you have any severe symptoms such as chest pain or difficulty breathing.
If insomnia has become a daily problem for you and the trend is only getting worse.

Contents of the article

Sleep disturbance is a problem well known to many. According to statistics, approximately 8-15% of the population of our planet complains of poor sleep, about 9-11% of adults are forced to use sleeping pills. Among older people, these rates are much higher.

Sleep problems occur at any age, but everyone age category this disease has its own characteristic features. For example, children most often suffer from night terrors and urinary incontinence. Elderly people suffer from pathological drowsiness and insomnia. But it also happens that, having arisen in childhood, a sleep disorder is observed in a person throughout his entire life. So what to do if you can’t sleep or have trouble falling asleep? What do experts think about this?

Causes of sleep disorders

Poor sleep, regardless of the duration, causes a feeling of weakness and fatigue; a person does not have a feeling of morning vigor. All this negatively affects performance, mood and overall well-being. If insomnia is observed for a long time, it leads to serious health problems. Do you often ask yourself the question: “Why do I sleep poorly?” Experts believe that this is caused by a number of reasons, including:

Psychotraumatic situations, stress.
Diseases of somatic and neurological origin, accompanied by physical discomfort and pain syndromes.
Depression and mental illness.
The influence of psychoactive substances (alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, drugs, psychostimulants).
Some medications cause insomnia or light sleep, for example, glucocortiroids, drugs with decongestant and antitussive effects, dietary supplements and others.
Malicious smoking.
Brief cessation of breathing during sleep (apnea).
Disturbance of physiological (circadian) biorhythms of sleep and wakefulness.

Among the causes of sleep disturbances, experts cite improper functioning of the hypothalamus due to injury or after encephalitis. It is noted that restless sleep observed among workers in night shift, as well as with rapid changes in time zones. In adults, sleep disturbance is often associated with a disease such as narcolepsy. In most cases, young men are affected.

Depression is the most common reason insomnia in the modern world

If a child complains that he is afraid to sleep at night, you should not brush it off, considering the problem far-fetched or a childish whim. Timely consultation with a competent specialist - a somnologist or psychotherapist will help eliminate the causes associated with sleep disorders and avoid serious health problems in the future.

Problems falling asleep

Doctors most often hear complaints about poor sleep and insomnia from those who have problems falling asleep. But the very concept of “insomnia” from a medical point of view is much broader. If you notice frequent early awakenings or wake up in the middle of the night, feel drowsy or tired in the morning, or suffer from shallow and interrupted sleep, all this indicates that you have a sleep disorder.

When the first signs of sleep changes appear, do not hesitate to consult a doctor. And even more so you need to sound the alarm in the following cases:

you have trouble falling asleep and notice worse sleep several days a week for one month;
more and more often you catch yourself thinking: what to do with bad sleep, how to get enough sleep normally, you concentrate on these issues, returning to them again and again;
Due to unsatisfactory quality and quantity of sleep, you notice deterioration in work and personal life.

Doctors note that those suffering from insomnia are twice as likely to seek medical help and undergo treatment in medical institutions. Therefore, it is not recommended to let the problem take its course. A specialist will quickly identify the causes of poor sleep and insomnia in adults and prescribe effective treatment.

Restless and interrupted sleep

Sleep is a complex physiological act during which the basic processes of the nervous system are “rebooted.” Adequate daily sleep is the most important condition normal functioning body, health and feeling great. Normally, an adult's sleep should last 6-8 hours. Deviations, both larger and smaller, are harmful to the body. Unfortunately, sleep problems are as common a phenomenon in our lives as stress, constant rush, endless everyday problems and chronic diseases.

One of the most common sleep disorders is restless legs syndrome.

Restless sleep - pathological condition, which negatively affects human health. While in this state, a person does not completely fall asleep; his brain can actively work due to the presence of non-sleeping areas. A person is tormented by nightmares; in his sleep he can commit involuntary movements, scream, grind your teeth, etc.

What to do if you have trouble sleeping at night? Perhaps one of the causes of this problem is restless legs syndrome. This is a neurological disease accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the legs, which intensify when at rest. It occurs at any age, but most often in middle-aged and elderly people, women are most often affected.

Sometimes restless legs syndrome is associated with heredity, but mainly occurs due to deficiency of iron, magnesium, B vitamins, folic acid. Observed in patients with uremia and thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus, with alcohol abuse, chronic diseases lungs.

At night, tingling, itching, bloating are observed in the lower extremities, sometimes it seems to a person that there are crawling insects under the skin. To get rid of severe sensations, patients have to rub or massage their legs, shake them and even walk around the room.

One of the forms of insomnia that residents of megacities often suffer from is interrupted sleep. Those suffering from this disease are able to fall asleep quite quickly, but the quality of their sleep is very low, since these people sleep lightly and restlessly. For example, without apparent reason, a person wakes up in the middle of the night, often at the same time. At the same time, there is a feeling of anxiety and tension, and several hours spent in sleep are not felt at all. Such night wakefulness can be short-lived, lasting a few minutes, or can last until the morning.

Repeated awakenings from night to night are accompanied by anxiety and cause negative thoughts. As a result, a person without enough sleep is forced to get up for work. It is clear that the lack of normal rest causes daytime apathy and chronic fatigue. “I wake up often, what should I do?” – doctors are often asked this question by those who do not know how to cope with insomnia. Doctors in this case, along with general recommendations can prescribe individual drug treatment after conducting a diagnostic examination.

Almost no sleep at all

Sleep problems often arise from spasms in the leg muscles. Patients complain of sudden sharp pain V calf muscles. As a result most of At night, a person is forced to deal with an unpleasant condition. These symptoms are observed in adults under the age of 50; 70% of older people are also familiar with this problem. Strong discomfort, which disrupt night rest, unlike restless legs syndrome, do not cause intense desire move your limbs.

To relieve tension accumulated during the day, give a light foot massage before bed.

You can alleviate the condition and quickly relieve spasms with a massage, hot bath or compress. If you have lost sleep for this reason, it is recommended to consult a doctor. Proper therapy will help prevent night cramps. A course of vitamin E is usually prescribed; in case of serious pathology, the doctor will prescribe a tranquilizer and recommend a set of special gymnastic exercises to stretch and strengthen the calf muscles.

Of course, solving sleep problems in children and adults should begin with consulting a doctor. Often, a person may not suspect that he has serious health problems, including oncology or mental disorders, but complains that he does not sleep at night, or a partial or complete lack of sleep. Yes, intoxication of various origins often provoke drowsiness. Pathological drowsiness can develop due to hormonal abnormalities, in particular, pathology of the hypothalamic-mesencephalic region. Only a doctor can identify these dangerous diseases. And having cured the underlying disease, it will be possible to normalize sleep.

Restless night sleep in adults, it often occurs due to behavioral disorder of the REM sleep phase. In essence, it is a malfunction in the functioning of the central nervous system and manifests itself physical activity sleeping in the REM sleep phase. In medicine, the rapid eye movement phase is called the REM phase. It is typical for her increased activity brain, the occurrence of dreams and paralysis of the body (except for the muscles that support breathing and heartbeat).

At behavioral disorder REM phases, the sleeper's body exhibits abnormal "freedom" of movement. This pathology mainly affects older men. The disorder is manifested by the sleeping person talking and screaming, active movements of the limbs, and jumping out of bed. The patient may even unknowingly injure himself or a sleeping person nearby. The good news is that this disease is quite rare.

A fashionable obsession with horror films can lead to loss of sleep. Heavy dreams can haunt a person who has experienced mental trauma. Often the body sends signals in this way about an impending illness. Waking up in the middle of the night in deep despair or with a feeling of disaster, a person cannot fall asleep for a long time. He tries to understand the reasons for his short sleep, replaying nightmare images in his head. Sometimes someone who awakens from heavy emotions simply does not remember the dream, but feels a chilling horror and, as a result, suffers from insomnia.

Avoid watching horror movies before bed

What to do if there is no sleep? You may need to seriously reconsider your lifestyle. Be sure to visit a doctor, undergo an examination and carefully follow all prescribed recommendations.

Too sensitive and superficial sleep

Light sleep - serious problem, both the sleeping person and his close circle. And if a person wakes up from every slightest rustle, this becomes a real disaster for his family. Why is sleep shallow and what to do about it?

There are actually quite a few reasons why a person may be a light sleeper. But in general, they can be distinguished into physiological, that is, corresponding to the norm, and pathological.

Shallow sleep is completely normal for the following categories:

Young mothers. In this category, the habit of waking up from the slightest rustle and snoring of the baby, and even more so from his crying, is formed thanks to physiological processes, occurring in a woman’s body after childbirth.
Pregnant women and women during a certain period menstrual cycle. Shallow sleep in these two groups combined into one, is explained by hormonal fluctuations in the female body.
Night shift workers. This group of people is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, lack of good sleep due to disruption of biorhythms.
Those who spend too much time sleeping. It has been noticed that with a banal excess of sleep, its quality deteriorates, intermittency and sensitivity of sleep appear. Typically, pensioners, the unemployed, and vacationers fall into this category.
Elderly people. Elderly people become sensitive to sleep not only from oversleeping, but also due to age-related changes in the body. The production of melatonin (sleep hormone) decreases, which leads to insomnia.

Regarding pathological reasons poor sleep, then this can be attributed mental disorders, somatic diseases, exposure to medicinal and psychoactive substances.

If we have figured out the reasons for the lack of sound sleep, then the question of why a person suddenly falls asleep during the day is also very often asked to specialists. What is the cause of this disease and how to deal with it? In medicine, a pathological condition characterized by sudden and unpredictable attacks of drowsiness that occur in the middle of the day is called narcolepsy.

For those who are affected by this disease, and most of them are young men, the REM sleep phase can occur unexpectedly and in the most unexpected place - in class, while driving, during lunch or a conversation. The duration of the attack is from a few seconds to half an hour. A man who suddenly fell asleep wakes up in strong excitement which continues to be experienced until the next attack. This is the main difference between narcolepsy and hypersensitivity daytime sleepiness. It has been noticed that even during such sleepy attacks, some can continue to perform their usual actions.

Frequent lack of sleep causes loss of control while driving

Possible consequences of sleep disorders

Why can't millions of people sleep at night? There are many reasons leading to sleep disorders. Some people devote too much time to work and become overtired, others watch too much TV or sit at the computer. But ultimately caused for various reasons insomnia leads to a number of negative consequences from chronic lack of sleep.

Impaired glucose tolerance

Lack of sleep and lack of sleep negatively affects the central nervous system, making it overexcited and more active. For this reason, the pancreas stops producing the right amount Insulin is a hormone necessary for the digestion of glucose. Scientist Van Cauter observed healthy young people who did not sleep at night for a long time for a week. As a result, most of them were in a pre-diabetic state by the end of the week.

Obesity

In the first phase of deep sleep, growth hormone is released. In people over 40 years of age, periods of deep sleep decrease, therefore, the secretion of growth hormone decreases. IN at a young age Insufficient sleep contributes to a premature decrease in growth hormone, thereby stimulating the process of fat accumulation. There are studies confirming that chronic lack of sleep reduces the production of the hormone testosterone. This leads to a decrease in muscle mass and accumulation of fat.

Increased cravings for carbohydrates

Intermittent sleep reduces the production of the hormone leptin, which is responsible for satiety. As a result, there is an increased craving for carbohydrates. The situation is aggravated by the fact that even after receiving a portion of carbohydrates, the body will require more and more calories.

Weakening of the immune system

Restless sleep and lack of a good night's rest have harmful influence to white blood cells V human body, reduces resistance to infections.

Risk of atherosclerosis

Chronic lack of sleep provokes stress, and this in turn increases the amount of cortisol. As a result of this imbalance, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) can occur. This leads to heart attack. Because of high level cortisol decreases muscle and bone mass and accumulates fat. The risk of hypertension and premature death increases.

Depression and irritability

Chronic insomnia depletes the neurotransmitters in the brain responsible for mood. People suffering from sleep disorders are more irritable and more likely to become depressed.

One of the consequences of sleep disturbance is obesity

What to do if an adult has trouble sleeping at night? Simple recommendations will help you cope with insomnia. First of all, you need to pay attention to your sleeping habits and the conditions in which you sleep. Often non-compliance elementary rules becomes an obstacle to proper rest. These are the rules.

work out good habit go to bed and get up at the same time. Even in one week, following this regimen, you can achieve significant results - it will be easier to fall asleep, and you will wake up alert and rested;
stop sleeping during the day unless prescribed by your doctor;
the time spent in bed should be strictly limited. Namely, as long as your sleep lasts. Avoid reading, watching TV and working in bed, otherwise you will have interrupted sleep;
instead of watching TV or lying in bed with a laptop, take walks in the fresh air in the evenings;
if you are a light sleeper, take care of good sound insulation in the bedroom; there should be no extraneous sounds or noises (such as the sounds of a working refrigerator) in this room;
Organize a high-quality and comfortable sleeping place. Sleep on cotton underwear, use a pillow with synthetic filler, which retains its shape well and is hypoallergenic;
the light in the bedroom should be dimmed, and during rest the bedroom should be completely dark;
A small light dinner 2-3 hours before going to bed will help improve the process of falling asleep. Avoid rich, fatty and high-calorie foods in the evening;
Taking a warm bath with anti-stress oil will help you relax and fall asleep faster. You can add 5-7 drops of lavender or ylang-ylang oil and 1 glass of milk to your bath. It is useful to take a hot shower an hour before bedtime;
refrain from smoking at night, drinking alcohol and coffee. Better to drink a glass instead warm milk with a spoon of honey or chamomile tea;
Keep only an alarm clock in the bedroom. When you wake up at night, do not try to find out the time;
the room where you sleep needs to be ventilated and regularly wet cleaned;
If you have difficulty falling asleep, use meditation or relaxation exercises.

Don't study drug treatment sleep disorders on their own. Choose the right one necessary medications Only a doctor can!

Prevention

“I can’t sleep well” – this is roughly the complaint of those who constantly experience insomnia. Doctors distinguish between several types of insomnia.

Episodic. It lasts 5-7 days, arising as a result of emotional overstrain or stress (exam, family quarrel, conflict situation at work, time zone change, etc.). It does not require treatment and in most cases goes away on its own.
Short-term. Lasts 1-3 weeks. Develops due to prolonged stressful situations, severe psycho-emotional shocks, as well as due to chronic somatic diseases. The presence of skin diseases accompanied by itching, and pain syndromes for arthritis, migraines.
Chronic. Lasts more than 3 weeks, often indicating hidden mental and somatic diseases, such as depression, neuroses and anxiety disorders, alcoholism. In old age it is found everywhere. “I don’t sleep well” – 69% of older people complain, 75% of this age category have difficulty falling asleep.

Reception medicines, nootropics, antipsychotics and antidepressants very often provoke poor sleep in adults.

To fall asleep easily, take time for walks in the fresh air before bed.

Doctors advise not to go to bed if you don’t want to sleep. It is better to occupy yourself with some exciting activity: read, listen to calm music. At the same time, it is better not to be in the bedroom so that the brain does not associate this room with insomnia.

To prevent sleep disorders, use the following tips:

learn to bring the psyche into a passive state. Mentally detach yourself from all problems and annoying thoughts;
if you have a hard time concentrating and are bothered by extraneous noise, use earplugs or stuff your ears with cotton wool;
perform rhythmic breathing, focusing on extended exhalation;
You can perform a soothing water procedure. For example, hold your feet in a pleasant position for 20 minutes hot water with the addition of a decoction of mint, lemon balm, oregano. Warm pine baths help you sleep well;
a heavy blanket helps you fall asleep quickly;
You can put a linen bag with dry hop cones under the pillow. By the way, hop tea with honey is also useful for sleep disorders. Prepare this way: brew 1.5 dry hop cones with 1 glass of boiling water, leave, strain, add honey, drink warm;
Can't sleep for a long time? You can undress and lie naked until you freeze. Then wrap yourself in a blanket. Pleasant warmth will help you fall asleep faster.

A simple psychological technique will help you free yourself from the negative thoughts accumulated during the day.

Mentally write down everything that worries you on separate sheets of paper. Imagine crumpling up each leaf one at a time and throwing it into a basket or fire. Try to remember positive points that happened to you today. Be sure to thank the higher powers for a successful day. Now you can perform relaxation techniques: dream about something pleasant, mentally listen to the sound of the surf, remember pleasant events from your life. Rational people can focus on calm breathing and the beat of your heart.

If desired effect is absent and you can’t fall asleep, most likely you need medical help.

Medicines

If you constantly suffer from interrupted sleep, the first thing to do is consult a therapist. If necessary, you will be referred for a polysomnographic study, on the basis of which treatment will be prescribed.

Subject to availability somatic pathologies, therapy consists of eliminating the underlying disease. In old age, patients most often require the help of a neurologist to normalize sleep. For drug therapy, benzodiazepine drugs are mainly used. If the process of falling asleep is disrupted, medications are prescribed short acting– triazolam, midazolam. You cannot prescribe these drugs yourself, as they have many side effects.

Do not buy or take sleeping pills on your own, without the advice of a specialist.

Long-lasting sleeping pills, such as diazepam, are prescribed for frequent awakenings at night. Long-term use These medications may cause daytime sleepiness. In this case, the doctor will adjust the treatment and select drugs with a shorter exposure time. For neuroses and depression accompanied by sleep disorders, consultation with a psychiatrist is required. In severe cases, antipsychotics or psychotonics are prescribed.

Normalization of sleep rhythm in the elderly should be carried out comprehensively using vasodilators(papaverine, nicotinic acid) and light herbal tranquilizers - motherwort or valerian. Reception of any medicines should only be carried out under the supervision of a physician. Usually prescribed course treatment With gradual decline dosage and smoothly reducing it to nothing.

Traditional medicine

Proven folk remedies will also help you cope with the problem of difficulty falling asleep.

Milk+honey

milk – 1 glass;
honey – 1 teaspoon;
freshly squeezed dill juice (can be replaced with a decoction of seeds) – 1 teaspoon.

Heat milk, dissolve honey in it, add dill juice. Take daily in the evening.

Pumpkin broth

pumpkin – 200g;
water – 250 ml;
honey – 1 teaspoon.

Pour boiling water over the peeled and diced pumpkin and simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Strain and cool until pleasantly warm. Add honey. Drink ½ glass before bed.

In conclusion

Various sleep disorders are mostly treatable. Sleep disorders associated with chronic sleep disorders are difficult to treat. somatic diseases, as well as in elderly people.

Subject to observance of sleep and wakefulness, normalization of physical and mental stress, proper use of drugs that affect nervous processes, management the right image In life, sleep problems are completely removable. In some cases, consulting with specialists or taking medications will help cope with the problem. Be healthy!

Night sleep disturbance may be caused by for various reasons: external factors or diseases, permanent or episodic. In the United States, according to statistics, at least 40 million people suffer from sleep disorders (insomnia). In developed countries, sleeping pills account for 10% of all prescribed medications.

Perfectly healthy young people (students and schoolchildren) who do not have enough time to sleep can complain of insufficient sleep duration.

People over 40 who have health problems are dissatisfied with the duration and depth of sleep. They have difficulty falling asleep and are very restless at night frequent awakenings due to choking or palpitations.

Shallow sleepers have similar symptoms, but they are more worried about prolonged falling asleep.

Women complain of poor sleep more often than men, but they go to the clinic less often. Women sleep worse for personal reasons, and men for social reasons.

People who do physical work sleep better than housewives and pensioners.

Widowers and widows are more susceptible to insomnia than family people.

Among the villagers more people who sleep little: they have to get up early, especially in the summer, and watching doesn’t allow them to go to bed early interesting films and TV programs. There are fewer rough sleepers in the countryside than in the city: they are engaged in manual labor. Also, the villagers do not have the habit of daytime sleep.

Self-massage of points for insomnia will help you fall asleep without medications. Their localization on the head, arms, legs, medicinal effects on health.

Manifestations of insomnia

Prolonged falling asleep– the most debilitating side of insomnia. To a person who cannot sleep, half an hour seems like an hour, but longer time- eternity.

Frequent awakenings at night exhausts, gives a feeling complete absence sleep. Delta sleep is short, it does not have time to develop; all mental activity is transferred to the stage of drowsiness and sleep spindles.

Consciousness in these stages seems to bifurcate, as in narcolepsy. The sleeper dreams of “half thoughts, half dreams”, he is almost aware of this and perceives such half sleep as wakefulness. However, the EEG shows 7 hours of sleep per night.

But due to its mismatched structure, it does not bring complete rest: there are only three cycles of “slow-wave sleep - paradoxical sleep” per night, shallow sleep due to shortened slow-wave sleep.

And yet, statistics show that poor sleepers do not always sleep poorly in reality: complaints of frequent awakenings are confirmed in 86 cases out of 100, insufficient depth of sleep and prolonged falling asleep - in 70 cases, insufficient sleep duration is confirmed only in 43.

This indicates a subjective perception of sleep disturbances. Even someone who claims to not sleep at all, sleeps at least 5 hours a day, can sleep without noticing it at night and doze during the day.

Episodic sleep disorders

The causes of sleep disorders may be temporary and depend more on external factors. For example, when daily rhythm changes and sleep as a result of flying to a different time zone.

Sleep can often be disturbed due to noise, if the windows overlook an expressway or construction site. Such insomnias are called psychophysiological.

Sometimes complaints about external interference turn out to be disorders of the nervous system.

One patient A.M. Veina complained about noises that had haunted him all his life: in his youth, his dorm neighbors made noise, then the noise of a tram, the noise of a construction site near his house, etc. disturbed him. This man did not invent anything, but he often had personal and professional conflicts.

Mentally unbalanced, he perceived any noise as a worldwide catastrophe.

You can change your place of residence, move from a noisy area to a quiet one, but will you leave yourself?

It happens that episodic sleep disorders can haunt a person throughout his life.

Another patient had been plagued by night terrors since childhood. At such moments, he jumped up and began to scream in horror. At the age of fifty, he is still sometimes overtaken by the same fears, and then he wakes up his family and himself with terrible screams.

How do such nightmares arise?

They are born in the deep delta sleep stage, it may not be terrible dreams, and vegetative-vascular crises. The reaction to such a dream is manifested strong heartbeat, intermittent and heavy breathing, chills, increased blood pressure and body temperature.

The person is covered uneasy feeling. Such a crisis may happen once a year or may recur up to several times a month.

Sleep disorders caused by diseases

Sleep may be disrupted due to illness internal organs and peripheral. With this disorder, patients experience various inconveniences and pains, such as nightmares and bad dreams.

Cores They fall asleep quite quickly, but in the middle of the night they often wake up and cannot fall asleep for a long time, tossing and turning from side to side.

Hypertensive crises, myocardial infarction, angina attacks occur mainly in paradoxical sleep, and in slow sleep– attacks of bronchial asthma.
During REM sleep, all people's blood pressure and pulse change. To those who coronary vessels not in order, such changes are fraught with attacks.

Secretion gastric juice also changes in everyone's dreams. In an ulcer In this case, pain may occur, and forced wakefulness along with it.

Poisoned by alcohol a person sleeps little and poorly, his paradoxical sleep is suppressed. REM sleep will not return to normal soon, because removing alcohol from the body takes a long time.

Paradoxical sleep does not want to wait for the alcohol to completely leave and begins to regain its position, invading wakefulness: this is how it appears delirium tremens with hallucinations and delusions.

In epileptics sleep structure is disrupted. They lack paradoxical sleep in some cases, and in others the stage of drowsiness is excessively increased. They are good sleepers and never complain about sleep. Perhaps the explanation is the resolution of accumulated unconscious conflicts during attacks.

Manic patients They also rarely complain about sleep, which is amazing, because they have the shortest sleep in the world - sometimes an hour, sometimes two, but they do not feel the desire to sleep. A manic patient is excited, jumps out of bed, gets down to business, immediately drops everything, is ready to get involved in a conversation, but his thoughts are racing.

Suddenly falls asleep in a deep but short sleep and wakes up full of strength and energy. Apparently, the quantitative lack of sleep is compensated by its depth. However, there are situations when a short sleep cannot compensate for the full scale active work, then exhaustion sets in and the patient needs to lie down.

After REM sleep deprivation in manic state there is no compensatory return: in these patients all conflicts are resolved in their flurry of activity. For creative people, this activity can be very fruitful. It is called ecstasy or inspiration.