Imagine taking too long to fall asleep, waking up several times during the night or feeling that sleeping time was not remedial: that is the routine of anyone who suffers from insomnia, either for a short period or in a more chronical way. According to the Sleep Institute, this disorder affects about 36,5% of Brazilians.
Various factors may cause insomnia crises, such as emotional, neuropsychiatric disorders, mood disorders (depression, anxiety), stress and lifestyle. Leila Giannazi, journalism student at Cásper Libero and law student at PUC, exemplifies: “I have insomnia because I get restless with all the things I have to do during the month. Instead of sleeping, I keep rolling in bed and thinking about all I have to do for both colleges”.
Hormonal explanation
In addition to that, chemical factors may initiate this discomfort, according to neuropsychologist Dr. Luciana Rodrigues Giannico. “With the arrival of the night, it is hoped that people start producing some hormones, especially the Melatonin, that begin to induce our body to reach the sleep state: there is a decrease in heart rate, body temperature. Some people have an unregulated cycle”, said the specialist.
Casperians who face insomnia in daily life report that those emotional factors are what most affects them. “It was one of the most stressful periods since I was concluding high school and I was under pressure because of college entrance examinations” says Luiza Eltz, journalism student, about when she began to have insomnia.
Learning problems
“It is during the sleep process that happens a kind of cerebral cleaning of toxins that are accumulated during the day”, explains Luciana. From this, sleep privation initiates physical (hormonal, low immunity), emotional (Increased impulsivity, irritability) and cognitive damages (decreased attention, lower concentration and response time, reduced reflexes). The last one may directly affect learning process, because everything necessary to learn, like attention, concentration and reasoning, are impaired.
“When I was at the worst point of insomnia crises, I could not pay attention in class. I would sit in the chair and not absorb anything. My grades even declined”, says Isabela Gonçalves, journalism student. In addition, it is during the night sleep that occurs the transformation of a short-term memory into a long-term memory, which is the consolidation of all that have been learned. The person is not only unprepared to learn, but also does not record the little that has been absorbed.
Besides reflecting in the learning, insomnia affects the mood and, consequently, the relationships of who suffers from this disorder, because the person becomes more impulsive and irritable. “One example is my courtship. He is a person I talk all day so I end up cashing stress on him. Or even at home, with my parents…” says Raphaela Basile, public relations student.
It is essential to look for a doctor or a specialist when an insomnia episode is identified to start the correct treatment and the reduction of its consequences, with possible use of medicines. “Normally, you have bigger cases as anxiety, depression and stress. Insomnia is only the tip of the iceberg”, declares Luciana. “It is needed to discover the reason of insomnia, how it is settled in, at what time of life, how it is interfering in the quality of life through a process of therapy, because these doubts are not solved by medicines” remembers the neuropsychologist about the importance of therapeutic monitoring in parallel to possible medications.
Alternative treatments: sleep hygiene
Besides strong medication, other methods may be followed as an insomnia treatment. “I have substituted medicine for alternative methods when the crises started to increase. I drink chamomile tea every night, practice boxing (it helps to relieve the stress) and yoga” says Maria Beatriz dos Santos, journalism student.
One indicated idea is the sleep hygiene. “This hygiene would be actions to regularize your day to day, with environmental and behavioral changes, to support the normal sleeping arrival” says Luciana. All these changes must be worked out in therapy with the goal of achieving normal sleep, often without the use of medications.
The sleep hygiene includes:
- Regular time to sleep;
- Analyzing the place where the person sleeps – observe if it is silent, if the temperature is favorable, turn off the lights;
- Analyzing the practice of physical exercise and the time that the person does that: the essential is doing it up to six hours before bedtime, because a peak of neurotransmitters would happen and then a fall, what favors relaxation;
- Avoiding daytime naps, it is not as effective as night sleep knowing that the cleaning and fixation process happens only at night;
- Establishing a maximum time to use the computer, the cellphone or video-games. This use leaves the person agitated and difficult normal sleep;
- Ruling the ingestion of some foods and the use of alcohol and nicotine.
Despite the use of cellphone before bedtime is not indicated, some apps are in favor of who suffers from insomnia. There are some examples:
- Long Deep Breathing: respiration exercises that provides relaxation. It is available on iOS and Android.
- Relax Melodies: sounds and melodies to hear during relaxing moments, mediation and sleep time. It is available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
- Universal – Yoga For Insomnia: yoga positions that stimulate sleep. It is available on iOS and Android.
With the accompaniment of a doctor or specialist, proper treatment attributed to these alternative methods, insomnia will no longer be a hindrance and the person suffering from this disorder will again have quality night’s sleep.