Sleep deprivation and its phases
Introduction
Sleep disorders more characteristic are: insomnia, apnea-hypipneal syndrome of sleep, restless legs syndrome and sleep alteration in dementias. Therefore, we have to perform an appropriate evaluation and diagnosis of them. There are certain aspects that influence the quality of sleep that we will study and ask each person. These are: while we sleep, alterations in the human body occur while the brain has a high activity, contrary to what is usually thought that it stops working or processing. Older people present a more characteristic dream:
- They sleep less deeply so the dream is less repairing.
- They wake up several times at night.
- In the morning they wake up very early.
Developing
These characteristics do not mean that they rest little, but that rest is according to their lifestyle and needs, since they can have the same dream as young people. They refer to sleep disorders to which they have a problematic basis such as psychosocial diseases or disorders, which influence their health and cognitive impairment. The normal dream is divided into two phases:
- REM phase: rapid eye movements, lack of muscle tone and low voltage electromagnetic waves are characteristic of this stage.
- Non REM phase: This consists of four stages divided into light sleep and deep sleep. In the geriatric population, there are more phases of light sleep than deep sleep, being able to be null.
The most characteristic sleep disorders are: Insomnia, Apnea-Hippnea Syndrome of sleep, restless legs syndrome and sleep alteration in dementias. Therefore, we have to perform an appropriate evaluation and diagnosis of them. There are certain aspects that influence the quality of sleep that we will study and ask each person. These are:
- Changes in lifestyle: habits, routines, roles, etc.
- Medical pathologies: respiratory, cardiac diseases, etc.
- Psychiatric pathologies: dementia, delusions, depression.
- Medications: Excessive abuse of them, hypnotizing, antidepressants.
- Primary sleep alterations: how is restless legs syndrome.
Some studies seek the intervention of these sleep alterations in treatments that are not pharmacological, since it can be acted in other ways other than chemistry. An example of these is a randomized clinical study that was carried out to one hundred and thirty -two people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. It verifies that carrying out daytime activities and exposure to sol increase the nighttime sleep time, reducing sleep problems and minimizing daytime sleepiness. The subjects with greater adhesion to treatment obtained better results.
The Mindfulness -based stress reduction program is used in the intervention of people with insomnia. It is a viable treatment of chronic insomnia that improves health and productivity. The MBSR program has been designed to facilitate coexistence with a chronic pathology. Mindfulness trains users to see their thoughts as mental and not made events.
That is, to think that the negative events of their lives can be their thoughts and not give them much more importance than they need. This program has also been used by Bootzin and others with adolescents to reduce the consumption of toxic substances and avoid recurrence that may occur.
On the other hand, regular physical exercise in older adults is also a good ‘assistant’ to sleep well and reduce sleep disorders because it helps to relax people and reach the ideal temperature that makes us start in sleep. Cognitive treatment is another method that prevents pharmacology, supplier in certain members of the community of side effects, such as hypnotics. This intervention seeks to get an increase in sleep through:
- Change in soil habits are usually scarce.
- Change of opinions about this therapy, which is usually negative. Both cognitive and educational activities, external stimuli control, breathing control, muscle relaxation are carried out.
We also want to verify if sleep disorders have some influence on cognitive impairments, but there is no evidence to corroborate it. There is no direct relationship between a person’s sleep hours and cognitive deterioration. Yes, a relationship between the reading habit and moderate coffee consumption in cognitive deficit prevention is established. Measures that encourage sleep can be taken so that this is repairing and effective. These can be divided into:
- Change of environment: include dark, silent rooms, relaxing music, avoid watches in the room.
- Personal habits: how to be diorly active and do physical exercise, regularity in going to sleep, create sleeping routine, avoid medications.
- Food: Avoid drinking liquids before sleeping and copious or abundant meals, dinner one or two pieces of fruit, do not take caffeine or soft drinks.
conclusion
Finally, it has been proven with the Pittsburgh sleep quality index that self-therapy increases the global quality of sleep, significantly reduces the severity of symptoms and increases sleep efficiency in people with insomnia symptoms associated with chronic diseases. We also want to verify if sleep disorders have some influence on cognitive impairments, but there is no evidence to corroborate it. There is no direct relationship between a person’s sleep hours and cognitive deterioration. Yes, a relationship between the reading habit and moderate coffee consumption in cognitive deficit prevention is established.
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