Experts speak of a kind of vicious circle or fish that bites its tail: the feeling of anxiety or fear of not being able to sleep increases the symptoms of insomnia, the fatigue accumulated at night affects the daytime and encourages Sedentary lifestyle that, in turn, generates, again, a bad night’s rest. But why does this happen, how does it affect our day to day and how can we improve it before getting to the medication?
the psychologist Anna Coderch, a collaborator at the laboratory specialized in microbiota, micronutrition and phytotherapy Pileje, explains that our brain is capable of being realistic and rational, but also of magnifying the worst possibilities. “If we have had restful sleep, we can access brain areas that connect us with the ability to find solutions to our problems or with the ability to learn. On the other hand, when this restful sleep does not exist, everything seems more complex, darker. That is when the problems that remained pending or the situations that concern us appear, ”she deepens her.
for the doctor Javier Albaresa sleep specialist, this occurs when we do not go to sleep in a ‘restful state’: “Sometimes we go to sleep in a state of hyperactivity brain that directly collides with the need for our brain to relax and thus be able to fall asleep. It is hard to understand that, in order to sleep well, you have to go to bed rested, and many times it is not enough just to relax half an hour before, but rather it is something that you have to work on throughout the day to find your balance”.
This means that, in a way, “the day is the factory of our night” to which must be added, in addition, the quantity and quality of the hours of sleep: “Depending on how our sleep is, we will face the day in a different way. or other. For sleep to carry out its function of repairing and preparing us for the next day, not only the hours we sleep are important, but also how we do it and the continuity of it”.
Therefore, if the sleep is superficial, the feeling the next day will be that of fatigue and drowsiness, which will alter our mood, cause us to be less efficient and make more mistakes. “People who sleep 6 hours or less have a 33% more traffic accidents than those who sleep 7 hours or more”, adds Dr. Albares.
The fear of insomnia
On many occasions, people who have difficulty falling asleep or who have shallow or restful sleep enter a phase of ‘fear of insomnia’ that further aggravates the situation. “This state of anxiety and fear of not being able to sleep greatly impairs the quality of life of the people who suffer from it, since it greatly increases the symptoms of insomnia,” he explains.
And this is where a sedentary lifestyle would come into play: “Having unrefreshing sleep affects our daytime state, causing us to be much more tired and face the day worse. This can lead us, for example, to stop exercising because we feel that we have no energy, and therefore we enter into sedentary lifestyle dynamics that also increase the symptoms of insomnia”, explains the expert.
Although it may seem paradoxical, Coderch suggests going to bed without pretending: “I suggest to people who have entered into this vicious circle, going to bed without pretending to sleep. Just go to bed to notice the physical rest, following the natural movement of the breath, focusing on the natural expansion of the inhalation and exhalation while feeling the body supported by the bed.
Doctor Albares also recommends some healthy habits that can help improve sleep:
– Feeding:
It is important to maintain a good diet throughout the day in addition to being properly hydrated. Always avoid alcohol at night. “Complex carbohydrates favor the production of serotonin, a precursor of melatonin, a hormone that facilitates sleepiness because it gives a sleep signal to the biological clock. Optimizing magnesium intake, through foods such as chocolate, brown rice or prawns, will contribute to reducing fatigue during the day and to the normal functioning of the nervous system.”
– Exercise:
Have the routine of exercising. Being physically active during the day helps you better cope with going to sleep.
– Natural light:
“Absorb as much natural light as possible during the day. We need to be at least of the hours Outside, it is not worth our house or our office having natural light: you have to expose yourself ”, he adds.
– Screens:
Avoid screens from 2 hours before bed. “If you watch television, let them be relaxing nature programs, for example, and with little brightness.”
The specialist clarifies that, despite this, only the 30% of patients suffering from insomnia solve their problem by changing their habits. “The causes of insomnia in the other 70% surely have a psychological origin that will have to be found and treated individually,” she concludes.