2023-10-09 08:50:38
by Anna Fregonara
Sleep becomes difficult for various reasons but it can be reset with some rules and precautions that are different for men and women. The role of melatonin, stress and schedules
The ability to sleep is like a car which, as it accumulates kilometers, begins to need repairs and its driving becomes less smooth. The quality of sleep deteriorates in the same way. Starting from middle age, an expression used to indicate those aged 40 and above, we wake up more often, we turn over in bed for hours until we naturally fall back asleep between five and six, just before the alarm goes off. . Often we never get the recommended seven hours of sleep.
Change your sleep architecture
The causes are different — sleep architecture and melatonin production, health problems, stress — but the good news is that there are remedies. The years in which the best sleep stability, thanks to the low number of micro-awakenings, are between the ages of 30 and 35 – explains Liborio Parrino, professor of Neurology at the University of Parma and head of the Sleep Center of the Parma hospital -. In adolescence, micro-awakenings are numerous, especially around menarche and the first hormonal surges of teenagers, and they grow again after middle age. However, depending on the moment in which they appear, the repercussions on health change. The first 3-4 hours of sleep are those that recharge the alert battery and allow us not to doze off during the day. They are dominated by deep sleep defined as mandatory for our physical and mental health. The second part of sleep, however, is dominated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is fundamental for memory and for the resumption of waking activities. Therefore, if nocturnal awakenings prevail in the first part of the night, the daytime repercussion will be excessive sleepiness. If the last 2-3 hours of sleep are compromised, during the day we will suffer above all from asthenia and difficulty concentrating. In general, good rest, especially during deep sleep, is also important for repairing muscles and bones and strengthening the immune system.
Melatonin
Complicating matters is the production levels of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. We are born without melatonin, so much so that there is a hypothesis according to which the so-called gas colic of newborns could depend on the deficiency of this hormone. We begin to produce it towards the first months, more and more up to 20 years – continues the expert -. Little by little it begins to decline and after about the age of 55 we begin on average to be quite deficient in endogenous melatonin.
The rules for sleeping well again
The ideal is to maintain or restore good sleep hygiene – recommends the neurologist -, therefore: regular sleeping and waking hours every day; avoid caffeine after 2pm also because it can take up to 10 hours to leave the bloodstream; keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet; give up digital devices at least an hour before going to sleep; every evening carry out the same routine which helps to communicate to the brain that the time has come to rest; be physically active during the day.
From a study su Sleep Science It emerges that at least 40 minutes of aerobic or resistance training four times a week away from sleep helps older people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is one of the most common disorders after the age of 40, especially in men, which affects the quality of rest. Cases among women increase after menopause. Increasing weight can increase the risk of developing a condition of sleep apnea: the adipose tissue concentrated in the neck can compress the airways when you lie down – underlines Parrino -, but at the origin there can also be anatomical factors, such as the shape of the mouth, the size of the tongue, the position of the chin, or central mechanisms of the brain that influence the appearance and frequency of breathing pauses during sleep. Depending on the case and the severity, it may be enough to change position in bed, move more and follow a varied and balanced diet in order to lose weight or, after a visit to the specialist and the prescription of diagnostic tests, the indication can be reached. to wear a device that delivers a flow of compressed air that helps keep the airways open, the expert says.
For women, regularity is needed
Perimenopause, or the years of hormonal fluctuations that precede the cessation of menstruation, and menopause can manifest themselves, among other symptoms, with hot flashes and night sweats that disturb sleep. The hormonal fluctuations themselves also derail good rest, causing mood swings and anxiety. Women are more refined than men, they start from a condition of greater resilience and perfection which makes them special, underlines Parrino. The downside is that the refinement of female physiology requires extreme chronobiological rigor and for this reason a change, even a simply hormonal one, is enough to alter their sleep. It helps to wear lighter pajamas and breathable sheets and talk to your doctor to consider possible hormonal integration or cognitive-behavioral therapies.
Prostate and drugs
Among the most common health problems as the years go by is the prostate which, when men reach middle age, tends to enlarge: this can cause a greater need to go to the bathroom to urinate during the night. Or there is the taking of drugs, such as diuretics for blood pressure, which can interfere with sleep, specifies the neurologist. Among the most practical advice is not to drink in the hours before going to bed and to talk to your doctor about changing the time of taking a medicine in order to try to reduce the probability of interference with rest.
How to release stress
Finally, middle age coincides with a very delicate period in life as one juggles children, elderly parents and work responsibilities. The action of stress stimulates cortisol, the hormone that alerts us and allows us to act in complicated situations. A tip to practice physical activity that allows you to release stress – concludes the expert -. Another suggestion is to express your worries by writing them in a diary or talking about them because in this way the brain understands that you are working to deal with them and, consequently, the risk of ruminating on negative thoughts at night is lowered.
October 9, 2023 (modified October 9, 2023 | 08:47)
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
#Sleeping #difficult #Heres #time.news