Did you know that we spend 20 to 25 years, that is, a third of our lives sleeping? Sleep disorders can affect our quality of life and affect our behaviors during wakefulness.
Despite the fact that people spend about a third of their lives sleeping, very little is known about sleep..
The dream is not a state but a behavior. The human being throughout his life maintains a cyclical alternation of two biological rhythms: wakefulness and sleep. Sleep is a necessary physiological process as it plays a critical role in early brain development, learning and memory consolidation.
This process has been defined as"A regular, recurrent and easily reversible state of the organism characterized by relative inactivity and a large increase in the response threshold to external stimuli" Quoted from Caballo, 2008.
For this, during the last decades, multiple explanatory theories about the function of sleep have been proposed, whose primary role is to restore physical and psychological energy (Caballo, 2008)
Additionally, the sleep depends on numerous behavioral as well as physiological factors, in addition to the integrity of many neuronal structures and body mechanisms (Caballo, 2008), which allows us to understand why there are so many organic and environmental aspects that disturb sleep function.
Part of the research in the field of health, has studied the severity of pathological manifestations and the risk factor that affects quality of life of any individual. It should be noted that any subject may present sleep disturbances or deviations, showing themselves as a poor, excessive, or abnormal display of behavior (Díaz, Ruano, Chacón, 2009).
For this, there is an international classification of sleep disorders, which was developed by specialists of different nationalities in 1990, where we find:
Finally, the knowledge of sleep and its disorders have evolved considerably, which constitute one of the most frequent problems in medical and psychological consultations.
For this, sleep disorders have acquired great importance given their impact on different aspects of daily life, health, work performance, direct and indirect costs in the medical care required for their management and treatment. well-being of individuals.
In this way, based on the advances in basic sleep research, together with the accumulated experience of clinicians in their professional practice, the understanding of sleep disorders and in definitive better and effective intervention.
The night sleep of an adult is organized in 4 or 5 cycles of 90 to 120 minutes. During that time the following phases are observed:
Phase i: Transition between wakefulness and sleep. It lasts approximately 10 minutes and theta activity can be observed.
Phase ii: Light sleep of approximately 15 minutes. Theta, spindles, and K complexes are observed.
Phase III: Between 20 and 50% delta activity is recorded.
Phase IV: More than 50% delta activity is recorded. It is the deepest sleep phase.
Phases III and IV are not well defined and are known as SLOW WAVE DREAM. Phases I, II, III and IV make up NON-REM sleep.
The REM sleep occurs 45 minutes after phase IV. During REM sleep we become paralyzed, most of our motor neurons are inhibited, and the brain is very active. Both blood flow and oxygen consumption increase and the eyes move rapidly. REM sleep performs functions that facilitate learning. So now you know ... We need to sleep before an exam ... Nothing to stay awake all night!!
During REM sleep most dreams of a narrative nature occur. Dreams are characterized by good visual images, but they are poorly organized in terms of time.
Sleep disorders include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, sleeping too much, and abnormal behaviors during sleep. Below we will detail the main sleep disorders:
Difficulty getting to sleep (initial insomnia). Those people who wake up early in the morning, earlier than planned, suffer from terminal insomnia. You can also suffer from intermediate insomnia if the person wakes up several times during the night. Insomnia can be a sign that something is wrong ...
Patients taking sleep medication develop tolerance to the drug and experience rebound symptoms if they stop taking it (insomnia due to drug dependence).
It occurs when the person falls asleep and then stops breathing, especially it is observed in those people who snore. It is considered a serious disorder.
It consists of urinary incontinence and is very common in children. Psychological disorders are almost always the result of this disorder, which by the way is more common in girls.
This disorder involves getting up and sleeping. It is quite common during childhood and usually disappears in adolescence.
They consist of anguished screams, tremors, a racing pulse, and generally there is no recollection of what caused the terror. It is more common in young children.
It is a daydream that can cause a strong emotional response, such as fear or terror. They are related to REM sleep while night terrors occur in phases III and IV (slow wave sleep).
Its main symptom is an irresistible urge to move your legs. Usually worsens with age and can disrupt sleep.
Occurs when sleep occurs at inappropriate times.
Symptoms:
Irresistible urge to sleep, which can happen at any time but usually happens in monotonous and boredom circumstances. The dream lasts between 2 and 5 minutes and the person wakes up clear.
Total paralysis that occurs during wakefulness. The person suddenly becomes weak and falls to the ground. The muscle atony of REM sleep occurs at an inappropriate time. This loss of muscle tone is caused by a massive inhibition of motor neurons in the spinal cord..
Inability to move just before sleep begins or upon waking up in the morning.
These are vivid daydreams that occur immediately before a person falls asleep. They are accompanied by sleep paralysis.
Narcolepsy patients dispense with slow wave sleep and go directly from wakefulness to REM sleep. Your sleep is often interrupted by numerous waking periods. REM sleep-related disorders are often treated with antidepressant drugs that promote serotonin and norepinephrine activity..
The patient does not have muscle atony during REM sleep and can act out his dreams. It is associated with other disorders such as Parkinson's and is usually treated with clonazepam.
Temporary sleep disorder that can affect people who travel across multiple time zones. This occurs because the body's internal clock is out of sync with the new time zone..
It is estimated that 45% of the world's population today suffers from a sleep disorder ...
Remember that a good rest together with a balanced diet and regular exercise improve your quality of life and your physical and emotional health..
References
Caballo, V. (2008). Manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychological disorders. Madrid; Siglo XXI de España Editores, S.A.
Diaz, R; Ruano, M; Chacón, A. (2009). Study of sleep disorders in Caladas- Colombia. Colombian Medical Act, 34,2, 66-72.
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