The sleep disorders can increase the risk of developing chronic diseases and reduce quality of life, according to the clinical neurophysiologist at Hospiten in Tenerife and Hospital LanzaroteTxomin Navajas Carasa.
Until the end of the last century, classifications of sleep disorders were not made and It wasn’t until 1980 that medicine recognized that not sleeping well is a disease. 50% of the adult population and 24% of the child population do not have quality sleep. In Spain, around 40% of the population has spent sleepless nights (acute insomnia). Of these, up to 15% lead to chronic insomnia and only 2.5% go to the doctor.
In the words of the Hospiten specialist, “an insomnia disorder is considered to be dissatisfaction with the quantity or quality of sleep for three nights/week for more than three months. These disorders may be due to psychological factors, stress, fear of not sleeping or episodes dysthymic”.
In order to identify them, symptoms such as irritability, tiredness or a tendency to sleep, lack of concentration and inability to work and family life must be taken into account. “These symptoms should alert us and we should go to a specialist doctor, for a good diagnosis and avoid making the lack of sleep and its consequences chronic,” explains Dr. Navajas.
Sleep disorders are classified into three types of insomnia based on their duration: episodic, when their duration is one to three months; persistent ones, when they last more than three years; and recurring ones, when the episodes last more than two years.
Therefore, lack of sleep can cause hypersomnia disorders, such as narcolepsy, breathing-related disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (SAHS), sleep or wake-sleep heart rhythm disorders, or parasomnias, like nightmares.
Just like advises Dr. Navajas, “you have to treat sleep with the importance it hastherefore, we have to know that there are habits that we must carry out whenever possible, that is, they are non-negotiable habits, such as: not drinking exciting drinks, maintaining the sleep-wake rhythm, having a good diet and exercising physical activity and reduce activity in the hours close to going to sleep.
On the other hand, he has also pointed out the importance of keeping schedules as variable as possible, trying to have an optimal temperature and a ventilated room away from noise.
“Sleep is not a waste of time. It is a stage or period of the day in which neurotransmitters and receptors are replenished, we order memory, we restore cardiovascular function, therefore, sleeping well increases the quality of life. We spend 33% of our lives sleeping and our goal is for it to be quality and restorative,” says the specialist.
