Anxiety disorders, depression and physical illness are no longer the main cause of insomnia, today it is mainly caused by adverse lifestyle changes and disruption of circadian rhythms, says Prof. Adam Wiczniak, sleep disorder specialist.
In Europe, 30% of Europeans have sleep problems. society, more and more young people complain about it. And insomnia has become a disease of civilization, like depression. Recently, this has been facilitated by the pandemic and quarantine. However, today the causes of insomnia are different.
“Even 5-10 years ago, the main causes of insomnia were anxiety disorders, depression and somatic diseases. Today, the most important thing is to change the way of life,” says prof. Adam Wiczniak from the 3rd Psychiatric Clinic and the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw.
Too much light disrupts the circadian rhythm
She explains that we spend more and more time during the day indoors where too little sunlight reaches us. In the evening we have too much light because we use artificial lighting and electronic devices. “This excess light disrupts our circadian rhythm. We also go to bed and wake up at different times. And what is very important - we do not have enough physical activity. All this makes sleep short, shallow and intermittent,” he notes.
We forget that quality sleep is our basic need and the foundation of our physical and mental health. “When we sleep as much as the body needs, we get up rested, full of energy for life,” the specialist recalls. During the pandemic, many people were afraid of getting sick, both themselves and their loved ones, and the loss of a sense of security (physical and economic) was a serious problem.
“In addition, thanks to remote work, there was no need to travel to work, many people could freely control the time of their morning sleep. Many Poles also did not want to go outside at least once a day for 30-60 minutes. They spent their days in front of computer screens. However, 20 percent society, the pandemic has improved sleep. This applies to people who were happy with remote work because they could work in a safe, private environment,” notes prof. Adam Wichniak. Their mental state has improved.
Insomnia? Lifestyle change is necessary
According to the expert, in order to sleep better, you need to strengthen the mechanisms that regulate sleep. Lifestyle changes need to be made – regular exercise, fixed sleep times and the implementation of healthy sleep principles (sleep hygiene). “You can also use drugs that improve sleep regulation, such as melatonin or other melatonergic drugs for sleep disturbances, or drugs used for psychiatric disorders (such as antidepressants) for worsening emotional states. However, the more intensively we live, the more we should take care of the daily rhythm of sleep, ”said the specialist of the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology.
He warns that some sleeping pills can be addictive, especially when abused. He explains that addictions are both psychological and biological in origin. “They cause biological dependence on prescription drugs (mainly anxiolytics and sleeping pills). And, unfortunately, in Poland these drugs are very readily taken chronically. In psychological dependence, on the contrary, the patient is convinced that he sleeps well just because he takes a pill. That is why it is worth remembering that we owe good quality sleep not to the fact that we take medicine, but to the fact that we take care of physical efforts, a healthy lifestyle, rest before bed, etc. And if this does not help, they affect the mechanisms that regulate sleep, ”says the expert.
Source: Wprost
