Somnologists told how to fall asleep, sleep and wake up correctly.
On March 13, the entire planet celebrates World Sleep Day. In the arms of Morpheus, we spend a third of our lives. It would seem, what could be easier - closed his eyes and sleep. But in reality, most of us persist in sleeping the wrong way. We asked the leading somnologists in Russia five simple questions about sleep.
WHY SLEEP?
Sleep is a circadian process that is tied to the daily cycle of day and night. During it, the hormone melatonin is produced in the human body - and a special mode of physical and psychological recovery is activated.
“Melatonin is so permeable to cells that it even reaches the genome,” says Alexander Kalinkin, head of the Sleep Medicine Center of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, expert of the European Sleep Research Society, cardiologist.
Sleep has not been fully studied, but scientists are sure of one thing: we spend a third of our life in the kingdom of Morpheus for a reason.
But the modern world of sleep-lovers does not favor. Electric lighting and gadgets, caffeinated drinks and tobacco smoking, the increased flow of information and the accelerated pace of life interfere with going to the side.
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- The very attitude to sleep has changed: less sleep - more work! - explains Kalinkin. - At one time it was even believed that sleep was for the lazy.
Over the past century, the average sleep duration has decreased from 8 to 6 hours a day, and even less in some megacities of the world. In Russia, 41 percent of people aged 20 to 35 tend to fall asleep due to lack of sleep at night. Experts observe "chronic sleep deprivation of mankind"
HOW MUCH TO SLEEP?
The norm is different for everyone, but statements about 8 hours are not a joke: the norm ranges from 6 to 9 hours of rest per day.
- And a reduction in sleep less than 6 hours, and an increase in more than 10 hours is harmful to health and shortens life expectancy, - emphasizes Alexander Kalinkin. “At the same time, excess sleep is much more harmful than lack of sleep.
The head of the sleep laboratory of the Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, a psychotherapist of the highest category, Alexander Polyakov, warns that chronic lack of sleep and oversleep can bring with it a whole bunch of consequences. Among them are anxiety, depression, overexcitation, headaches, vegetative attacks, memory and attention disorders, disturbances in the work of the digestive, cardiovascular and endocrine systems.
“It has been proven that lack of sleep leads to a deterioration in performance and creative activity: people become less creative and more robotic,” continues Kalinkin. - And this affects the economy: the quality of sleep determines 1-2 percent of the state's GDP. In addition, 20 percent of road accidents are related to falling asleep while driving. It is also known that sleep deprivation (reduction or complete deprivation. - Ed.) Negatively affects the activity of the genome. This means that for society as a whole.
How to compensate for lack of sleep has not yet been invented.
WHEN TO SLEEP?
Melatonin is called the sleep hormone. But this is a mistake: melatonin is actually the hormone of the night. After all, it is produced only in the dark. The peak of its production occurs in the evenings and lasts until 02:00. This is why it is so important to sleep at night. The optimal time for sleep is from 23:00 to 7:00.
“It's better to fall asleep and wake up on different days,” notes Alexander Polyakov.
It takes a person up to 2 weeks to establish a regime - for example, in a different time zone. In the summer, when the sun rises earlier, it is much easier to wake up earlier, this is natural. But experts do not advise without the need to shift the regime.
Moreover, somnologists do not recommend “sleeping off” on weekends and on vacation: it does more harm than good, because a temporary decrease in “sleep pressure” is replaced by a knocked-down regime.
“It is fair to divide people into“owls”and“larks”: there really is a genetic predisposition,” Polyakov adds. - But quite often it is possible to rearrange the rhythm.
HOW TO SLEEP?
Lenin's thesis "Better less, but better" can also be attributed to sleep. Besides the length of the night's rest, there is also quality. Simple rules help to ensure it. The main one is darkness.
- Bright lighting in the evening and at night, the light from gadgets before bedtime, when the body has already begun to produce melatonin, can lead to difficulty falling asleep, late awakening, metabolic disorders and increased blood pressure, warns a senior researcher at the sleep laboratory of the National Medical Research Center named after Almazov Mikhail Bochkarev.
- Any amount of light, even a glance at the burning smartphone screen, "extinguishes" the production of melatonin in the pineal gland, - supports colleague Alexander Polyakov.
Hence the conclusion: no sleep under the TV and with uncurtained windows.
By the way, it is especially difficult for Petersburgers with their white nights, as well as for residents of the Arctic. Some studies are even examining the negative effects of white nights on human health. Experiments show that excess light can cause obesity and even cancer.
“The duration of our daylight hours ranges from 5 hours 53 minutes in winter to 18 hours 49 minutes in summer,” explains Bochkarev. - But the confluence of seasonal changes on health is not obvious due to the stable indoor temperature and artificial lighting. Nevertheless, seasonal shifts in the sleep-wake rhythm are the main reason for the increase in the number of people suffering from insomnia (insomnia. - Ed.). Associated with seasonality and the development of "winter depression" with spontaneous remission in spring and summer. Unlike winter insomnia, "winter depression" is accompanied by increased sleep and appetite in winter, as well as insomnia, anxiety, decreased appetite and weight loss in summer.
The second rule of healthy sleep is air temperature. The ideal is 20-22 degrees. Sleep disorders are advised to sleep in a cool place, because "in the cold, we fall asleep better." The bedroom should not be stuffy.
The third golden rule is silence: the bedroom should be as quiet as possible. True, there are deviations from this rule.
- Since going to sleep is a reflex state, it is extremely important to observe the "ritual", explains Polyakov. - If for someone it is quiet music or listening to an audiobook, then, although this is a little breaking the rules, it can do more benefit than harm, helping a person to fall asleep.
What is the best sleeping position? People who are overweight and snore should not sleep on their backs for sleep apnea (short-term respiratory arrest). It is no coincidence that they say about sleep “go to the side”: the position on the side is considered the best. Lying on your stomach, on the contrary, is a bad decision, because intra-abdominal pressure is increasing. But recommendations regarding postures are conditional, because a person changes his body position several, or even several dozen times per night.
- Avoid heavy, spicy, sugary foods, alcohol and smoking less than 4 hours before bedtime. Chocolate and caffeine-containing drinks, tea and soda should be excluded 4-6 hours before bedtime, Bochkarev advises. - But a light snack (unsweetened yogurt, a small portion of low-fat cottage cheese, fruit) before bed is useful.
An evening visit to the gym will also not help you fall asleep: physical activity is not recommended later than 4-5 hours before bedtime. Not good for a night's rest and brain stress: disconnect from work and thoughts about the next deadline at least a couple of hours before bedtime.
- You shouldn't read in bed or work at the computer, - Bochkarev emphasizes. - The bed is only for sleep and intimacy.
HOW TO WAKE UP?
There is also a recipe for good morning.
- It is advisable to wake up at the end of an hour and a half cycle, - notes Polyakov. - If you go to bed at 23:00, then it is better to get up either at 05:00, or at 06:30, or at 08:00. Then you will be more cheerful than sleep for half an hour more.
Alexander Kalinkin does not recommend waking up to an alarm clock every morning, and leaving the "mechanical singer" only for rare occasions. Awakening, the expert is sure, should be natural. If a person gets up only under the alarm clock or even wakes up, despite it, this is a reason to review the regime and contact a specialist.
- Bright light in the morning on waking up allows you to wake up more vigorous, and fall asleep earlier in the evening, - adds Mikhail Bochkarev.
It is undesirable to suddenly jump out of bed. But light physical activity, an invigorating shower and a cup of coffee will not spoil the morning.
A LITTLE ABOUT DISORDERS
- There are more and more people with sleep disorders. At least in my practice, - says Alexander Polyakov. - This is understandable: the level of stress increases, artificial lighting constantly stimulates us, the amount of sleep decreases. An increasing number of anxiety and depressive disorders are emerging.
More than 80 sleep disorders have been described to date. The most common are insomnia and breathing problems during sleep (apnea, snoring). Movement disorders such as “restless legs cider” are common. Attacks of fear during sleep, "night food syndrome", sleepwalking are not uncommon.
There is a reason to consult a doctor for those who find it very difficult to wake up in the morning: perhaps it is a pathology called "sleep inertia". Constant increased sleepiness also belongs to the category of disorders and is called "hypersomnia".
BTW: If you want like da Vinci
Speaking of polyphasic sleep, the genius of Leonardo da Vinci is cited as an example, who allegedly slept almost 2 hours a day, evenly breaking this time into 10-20 minutes. True, supporters of "saving" on sleep forget about another genius - Einstein, who measured 10 hours of sleep.
- Polyphasic sleep is, rather, a disorder, - says Alexander Polyakov. - I am often asked how to sleep less so that there is more time left "for life." But this modern trend is absolutely wrong. If only because chronic sleep restriction makes a person less effective.
- Since a person's sleep is tied to night time, polyphasic sleep can only be used in certain situations: for example, by the military in combat conditions, adds Alexander Kalinkin. - But in no case should such a mode be recommended for permanent use.
But taking a nap on the subway on the way to work or home after a hard day is not prohibited. Japanese offices even have special rooms where employees can sleep 20-40 minutes.
- The main thing is that the daytime sleep does not exceed 45 minutes, - emphasizes Mikhail Bochkarev.
THIS IS INTERESTING: What will the dreams tell about?
According to scientists, as a rule, people have dreams every night, they just do not always remember them. An alarm clock that rang in the wrong phase and interrupted rest in the middle of the cycle will help to "forget" the dream.
And by the time when dreams come, experts have already learned how to make diagnoses. Normal sleep with dreams is 20 percent of the total rest time, and they come at 80-90 minutes. In case of clinical depression, the amount of sleep with dreams increases to 40 percent, and they come earlier - already 50-60 minutes after falling asleep.
ANNA POSLYANOVA
