Why is it harmful to sleep a lot, reasons for long sleep duration

Many people are familiar with the state when they constantly feel sleepy, have absolutely no strength to work, and coffee is the only source of energy. The feeling of complete loss of strength persists even after 8 hours of sleep. This phenomenon can be observed in every person at least once a year. Most often, successful and busy people are susceptible to it. Why is this happening? And all because exemplary workers voluntarily disrupt the body’s normal biorhythms and themselves provoke health problems.

Scientists call this kind of drowsiness “brown bear syndrome.” But if a bear hibernates only in winter, then this state overtakes a person during the day, regardless of the season. Psychologists conducted a series of experiments with people suffering from chronic fatigue and found that women want to sleep during the day 4 times more often than men.

Causes of drowsiness

An uncontrollable desire to sleep is considered the main consequence of lack of sleep. When a person does not get enough sleep for a long time, it leads to a chronic condition, so it is necessary to monitor the normal duration of sleep (at least seven hours a day).

Sleep disturbances often occur during unusual work hours: night shifts, rotating schedules. It is difficult for the body to adjust to the constantly changing hours of sleep and wakefulness.

Many medications, such as antihistamines and sedatives, cause drowsiness. Therefore, when treating allergies or other diseases, you should carefully choose medications. Also, to avoid sleepiness, a person needs a sufficient amount of daylight.

Constant sleepiness may be a symptom of the following diseases:

• Sleep apnea syndrome: Even after spending many hours sleeping, a person with this condition does not get enough sleep due to interruptions in breathing that awaken the body during the night.
• Narcolepsy is a severe sleep disorder in which a person falls asleep even in inappropriate conditions.
• Depression, even hidden, is often accompanied by increased sleepiness. Patients complain of difficulty falling asleep at night and difficulty getting up in the morning.
• Brain hypoxia occurs as a result of lack of oxygen and is also accompanied by headaches.
• Traumatic brain injury: In addition to drowsiness, the main symptoms are dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
• Low blood pressure, due to which the brain is not provided with sufficient blood supply.
• Cardiovascular, endocrine, infectious diseases.

Why does a person sleep a lot and not get enough sleep?

Sleeping for 12 hours is a sign of a serious condition of the central nervous system; in this case, a person sleeps for a long time and does not get enough sleep. There are several provoking factors:

1. Violation of the regime. You should go to bed no later than 23.00. With the onset of darkness, the hormone melatonin begins to be produced, which regulates sleep and wakefulness. Its active production occurs until 24.00. If this time period is missed, hormonal imbalance begins.
2. Nervous. A condition where people sleep for more than 12 hours may be associated with an unfavorable psycho-emotional environment. Severe stress initially causes insomnia, and then drowsiness. In some cases, you just need to get a good night's sleep, since nerve cells are restored only during dreams; in others, prolonged rest only worsens the psychological state. To get rid of this, special treatment is required.
3. Gastrointestinal diseases. Sleep problems are often associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. When digestion is disrupted, dreams become anxious and nightmares occur. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract are confirmed by bad breath, coating on the tongue, sour or bitter taste, drowsiness, lethargy. A person does not get enough sleep, even if he sleeps longer than usual.
4. Dust mites. Most of them accumulate in feather pillows, mattresses, and blankets. If they are not washed or dry cleaned for a long time, resting in such a bed becomes hazardous to health. After a long sleep in the morning, you feel a headache, fatigue, and symptoms of an allergic reaction arise - itching on the skin, watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, rhinitis.

Causes of lethargy

Constant weakness, apathy and lack of strength leads to a state of depression and detachment. Among the main reasons are the following:

1. Lack of vitamins. Vitamins B and D allow the body to remain alert and energetic.
2. Dehydration. Water is an important component of the human body. With a lack of fluid, fatigue appears.
3. Drinking too much caffeine has the opposite effect, causing you to feel sluggish.
4. Chronic fatigue syndrome is a serious illness when severe weakness lasts more than six months.
5. Emotional disorders and stress lead to apathy and lethargy.
6. Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which persistent fatigue is associated with blood glucose levels.
7. In addition to the main symptoms, viral diseases are almost always accompanied by lethargy.

The problem of drowsiness and lethargy in women

A common cause of female fatigue is iron deficiency anemia. Often this condition occurs due to menstrual blood loss. During menopause or premenstrual syndrome, loss of strength, drowsiness, and decreased performance may occur.

Constant lethargy is also a symptom of hypothyroidism, a thyroid disorder that affects women more. The disease is accompanied by drowsiness, swelling, dry skin and other symptoms.

There are frequent complaints of increased sleepiness among pregnant women. In the first trimester, this is considered a normal reaction to hormonal changes in the body. If complaints persist in the second and third trimester, drowsiness indicates anemia or late toxicosis. In this case, consultation with a specialist is necessary.

Features of the condition in men

The stronger half of humanity suffers from chronic fatigue and drowsiness no less than women. In addition to the main causes of a sluggish state of the body, in men this may be a consequence of a decrease in testosterone levels, which is also accompanied by a decrease in concentration and muscle weakness. Lack of testosterone leads to decreased libido and erectile dysfunction.

Constant drowsiness is sometimes caused by so-called male diseases. Thus, the problem of sleep apnea, which is often evidence of heart disease, is much less common in women. Klein-Levin syndrome is a rare pathology that affects young men, characterized by severe drowsiness and sleep lasting up to several days.

Complaints of drowsiness and lethargy are often associated with work characteristics. For example, in the production sector: monotony, noise, dust, chemicals are harmful labor factors that lead to serious diseases.

A common problem is driver drowsiness, with men more often falling asleep at the wheel. Driving in this state is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious accidents. It is important for professional drivers and car enthusiasts to maintain an optimal work and rest schedule and avoid taking medications that have contraindications for driving.

General information

If a person experiences constant drowsiness, he feels very tired, constantly wants to rest or, at least, do nothing. It is quite natural that everyone who suffers from such a feeling would like to find out the reasons for constant drowsiness and fatigue as soon as possible. Under normal circumstances, severe fatigue manifests itself as a consequence of significant overwork, mental and physical.

If physiological drowsiness develops, this means that a person has not rested for a long time, and the brain sends a signal that he really needs a break and rest from the information that he constantly receives. This is a state when the body “turns on” the conservation mode, the speed of reactions decreases, and all external stimuli are perceived differently. The cerebral cortex and sensory organs are blocked to a dormant state.

Signs of this condition are: decreased acuity of consciousness, yawning, decreased sensitivity of peripheral analyzers, which leads to dulling of perception. Also, a person’s heart rate and secretion of the exocrine glands decrease, and the mucous membranes become drier.

Thus, if a person is tired, then increased sleepiness is a normal condition. But there are a number of conditions in which drowsiness and lethargy are a manifestation of a certain pathology, which can be a serious problem for a person.

Ways to combat increased lethargy and drowsiness

A state of constant fatigue and powerlessness brings a lot of inconvenience and prevents you from living life to the fullest and enjoying pleasant little things. But you can deal with this by following a few tips.

1. Healthy sleep. It is important not only the number of hours, but also the sleeping conditions: silence, clean air, a comfortable bed.
2. A complete diet contains the required amount of proteins and carbohydrates and provides the body with energy. Don't forget about foods rich in vitamins and iron.
3. Physical activity, giving up bad habits, and walking in the fresh air help get rid of fatigue.
4. Compliance with work and rest schedules. Overwork at work leads to sad consequences, so you should not allow your body to overload, it is important to give yourself rest.
5. When drowsiness or weakness is a sign of a pathological condition, it is necessary to consult a doctor and begin treatment immediately.

Joke: “Are you getting enough sleep? “Where am I going to sleep?” Many people are familiar with the situation when we get up in the morning after sleeping, and then after washing and having breakfast we want to sleep again. Why do you always want to sleep and what should you do?

Sleep is a normal physiological state of mammalian organisms. Drowsiness (the desire to sleep at the wrong time) is a lethargic state of a tired person. According to physiology, fatigue is a signal that it is time for a person to sleep. But then why do you always want to sleep?

Drowsiness can be a sign of a change in the human body, or it can also be a serious symptom of deteriorating human health and signal the onset of illness. Reasons for constantly wanting to sleep:

• Physical and mental fatigue of a person;
• Lack of oxygen;
• Changes in reactions in the central nervous system towards inhibition (inhibition predominates over excitation);
• Diseases of the endocrine system;
• Pathological changes in the brain;
• Head injuries;
• Diseases of internal organs that reduce the activity of the cerebral cortex;
• Taking medications;
• Long conversations on a mobile phone.

The world around us does not allow sleep to be regulated only by physiological needs. Established zone time, which differs from the geographical one, shift work for adults, shift study for schoolchildren, all this disrupts the natural regime of functional sleep. The constantly changing ri is an important reason that a person constantly wants to sleep. Seasons influence the rhythm of sleep in their own way; just remember the hibernation of some animals. Short daylight hours and constant low temperatures are why in winter you always want to fall asleep.

• A healthy person may feel drowsy and weak during exercise - this can be considered a signal of too much stress on the body;
• While reading - a signal that the visual receptors are overloaded;
• Being in a noisy apartment for a long time - then the auditory receptors are overloaded.

Sometimes immediately after training you want to sleep, this is how the lack of carbohydrates in the body manifests itself. Drinking a suitable energy drink or fruit juice can cheer you up.

Women's sleepiness

The female body has its own characteristics; finely tuned hormonal processes undergo not only periodic changes. Hormonal changes during pregnancy increase the processes of inhibition of the cerebral cortex. The desire to sleep during this period of a woman’s life is quite natural; the duration of sleep should be at least 10 hours a day. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, you definitely need to sleep 1-1.5 hours during the day. An unborn child requires special attention to himself; only a well-rested expectant mother can give him everything. Sleep during pregnancy should be complete and sufficient.

Disruption of sleep rhythm during breastfeeding leads to the fact that a woman feels a certain discomfort and fatigue during this period of her life. A nursing mother is in a stressful state after a sleepless night. Insufficient sleep and fatigue worsen your well-being, leading to a depressed state, and then to depression. Breastfeeding during depression will be incomplete, the quality of milk will deteriorate, and the quantity may decrease. The desire to sleep takes away the strength that is necessary to care for the baby in the first months of his life.

Insomnia, bad mood, reduced immunity and weakness - all this should be avoided. Helping to rationally organize the work and rest schedule of a nursing mother is the main task of loved ones. When a woman feels this care, she will not experience irritability, nervousness and weakness, or decreased performance. The amount of sleep you get while breastfeeding is not as important as the quality of your sleep. Two full sleep cycles (with fast and deep phases) will allow a woman to restore her nervous system.

An irresistible desire to sleep can occur in women before or during menstruation. This condition occurs due to blood loss (50-80 ml), deterioration in blood quality (decreased hemoglobin levels due to decreased iron). The body gives a signal that it is exhausted and weak, that it needs to rest. During menstruation, only moderate physical activity, taking vitamins and iron supplements, and a balanced diet are recommended. You should avoid stress and all kinds of “over-”: overwork, overheating, overtraining. By leading a moderate lifestyle, you will give yourself the opportunity to recover.

How to get rid of drowsiness in the heat?

If in hot weather it is not possible to lie down and take a nap for at least half an hour, it is recommended to have a supply of cool water with you. It is recommended to drink it in small sips, no more than 150 ml. at a time, but often. Water helps to invigorate and also avoid dehydration, which is the cause of poor health in hot weather.

Interesting fact : in many countries with hot climates there is a mandatory afternoon break for rest and replenishment, which is called a siesta. Scientists say that children simply need such a break, especially on summer days.

Drowsiness in children

Drowsiness is a common occurrence in a newborn; a pediatrician can help young parents. If the child is lethargic and sleepy, it is better to contact a specialist immediately. A consultation with a pediatrician and an extensive examination of the baby will help to find out the reasons for this condition of the child.

The body of a young child is intensively formed, the nervous system develops unevenly. Whims, tears, screams are possible. In addition to a full night's sleep, a child of this age also requires a nap during the day. Attentive parents have no problem identifying their child’s lack of sleep and correcting the situation.

By definition, a child’s school age involves additional stress on a still growing body and developing nervous system. Lack of sleep in a child of this age can be caused by excessive school stress: mental, physical, psycho-emotional. He may become restless, irritable, and depressed. This behavior occurs especially often in teenagers. Giving your child the opportunity to rest and sleep is the direct responsibility of parents.

If you notice that your child is sick, call a doctor at home. Put the child in a clean bed, give him a toy or a book. During illness, it is better to observe bed rest; lying down the child will fall asleep faster. Sleep, as they say, is the best medicine.

Other reasons may also cause a child to want to sleep:

• low blood oxygen levels;
• low blood pressure;
• improper functioning of the thyroid gland;
• diseases of internal organs.

In such cases, you should consult a doctor - a pediatrician and not delay it!

Sleepiness in the elderly

It is not uncommon to see older people dozing off while reading newspapers or books. Why does this condition occur at this age? This is explained not only by the years lived. Fragmentation of sleep is most common in older people. A person goes to bed in the evening at his usual time, falls asleep peacefully, and wakes up in the middle of the night. He cannot fall asleep for a long time; in the morning he manages to do so with great difficulty. Such interrupted sleep is called fragmented sleep. During it, the human body does not recover and, moreover, does not recover. The nervous system is weakened, the immune status decreases, and health deteriorates. As a result, an elderly person, feeling exhausted and weak, wants to sleep in the middle of the day.

Diet is the second reason that causes sleepiness in the elderly. It’s no secret that pensioners save on everything, including food. A lack of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins in the diet leads to a decrease in vitality, weakness, and fatigue. Ordinary daily tasks become overwhelming not only because of age and wear and tear of the body’s systems. One reason superimposes on another, an episodic state of drowsiness turns into a permanent one.

On the other hand, overweight and obesity are companions to most diseases of the endocrine system. Violation of the body's hormonal balance leads to changes in brain activity, disruption of the immune system, and they are also followed by disturbances in night sleep. This explains the habit of sleeping during the day among overweight elderly people.

It is important to know

There is vigor in the lives of those who “hear” themselves and the fatigue of their body. Timely, high-quality, complete rest will allow you to forget about the constant desire to sleep. Surround yourself with a safe, environmentally friendly environment, eat rationally, treat stress lightly, as if it were some kind of adventure, be positive not only towards your loved ones, but towards all people. Live actively and take care of yourself!

Why do you always want to sleep?

in the morning? The day has not yet begun, and you already feel weak and unwilling to do anything!

Constant fatigue and drowsiness

, malaise and some weakness may be signs or causes that need to be corrected!

Moreover, constant drowsiness and fatigue can accompany you if you have slept for many hours, but your body still does not want and cannot wake up.

Symptoms

• absent-mindedness
• inattention
• memory loss
• apathy
• loss of interest and some indifference
• the desire to lie on the sofa in front of the TV or sleep and sleep again

I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that regardless of age, these symptoms can accompany both adults and children! Therefore, it is necessary to find out why you constantly want to sleep, so to speak. the root cause!

Causes

• Vitamin deficiency or lack of essential and very important microelements

You should especially worry about such important vitamins as iron, iodine, vitamins D and C!

• Constant diets and a small amount of kcal in relation to energy consumption
• Reduced immunity and lack of a healthy lifestyle can provoke all the signs
• Low pressure
• lack of water
• Toxicity and slagging of the body
• Pregnancy

For pregnancy, it is important to take a complex of vitamins on time, walk more in the fresh air and perform special gymnastics!

• Depression

Depression is, as you know, the wrong direction of thought, unwillingness to do business, go to work, tired of everything, etc. The surest way to eliminate constant sleepiness and fatigue is to start working on the sources of your depression!

If we take the basis of psychology, then fatigue reflects resistance, boredom, and reluctance to do one’s work. That is, an unloved thing that takes up the bulk of life kills all enthusiasm and the body strives to get more of it in a dream! Fatigue and drowsiness only show that you have chosen the wrong path!

What to do if you want to sleep all day

To eliminate or prevent daytime sleepiness, you need to take the following measures:

1. Follow the rules of healthy sleep, establish a daily routine, go to bed and wake up at the same time.
2. Before going to bed, turn off all light sources.
3. In the morning, do exercises for 15 minutes, after waking up, open the windows to let light in.
4. During the day, take a walk in the fresh air more often.
5. Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
6. Rhythmic music will help you stay alert in the middle of work.
7. Ventilate your room or office more often.
8. If you suspect any problems with your body, consult a doctor. Depression and stress are treatable.

What to do if you feel constantly tired and drowsy?

• Be sure to take vitamins, and constantly, especially for those of you who live in cities and megalopolises!
• Cleansing the body and intestines.

• Sleep should be complete, 8 hours.
• Relaxation

Relaxation for 20-30 minutes a day with no thoughts and proper body position. when all the muscles relax, all unnecessary tension and resistance are gradually removed, which sometimes causes all the symptoms on the face.

• Hobby

Remember what you like to do most and strive to devote time to it every day! You may have many ideas and plans in the future!

• Aromatherapy

Buy yourself some incense. essential oils that will invigorate you. For example, aromas of coffee, pine, sea, spring smells. Don't be lazy!

• Fall in love

What love does to us is known for certain to those who have gone through these moments! Either you need to set a goal to work on your existing relationships, bring freshness, or fall in love. Moreover, scientists have long proven that it doesn’t matter whether there is mutual love or not, the state of being in love raises the sensations of its bearer to a high level of vibrations! The symptoms will go away in no time!

• Drink a cup of good aromatic coffee 2 times a day
• Drink green tea with lemon throughout the day
• It’s great if you buy Ginseng root at the pharmacy or Eleutherococcus roots, guarana
• Sport

Underestimate this point! What kind of sport is there if you are weak and want to sleep? These sensations disappear after some time. as soon as the body begins to produce hormones and endorphins that improve tone and mood.

• fresh air and breathing exercises

Constant fatigue and drowsiness is not a disease, but a lack of joy that is expressed through our body! Start small, and be sure to switch to a healthy lifestyle!

For many people, the question of why you always want to sleep is a very serious one. It would seem that the problem can be solved very easily and quickly - you just need to lie down, rest, and the drowsiness will go away. But it's not that simple. Indeed, for some, the desire to sleep does not disappear even after a very long sleep.

People are beginning to classify themselves as chronically sleep-deprived. It turns out that the reasons for constant lack of sleep lie in human health.

It is normal for a person to want to sleep. But it is normal only when the body is really tired. However, you often hear from others: “I constantly want to sleep, even when I sleep, I dream that I want to sleep,” etc.

People often feel the desire to sleep in the morning, during work, after lunch, and live with this thought all day, dreaming of quickly returning home and going to bed. But, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, when a person goes to bed and should already be asleep, the desire may disappear.

There are different types of sleepiness. The human body reacts differently to the circumstances around it.

A person may experience a feeling of drowsiness, weakness and fatigue not only because he has not slept enough, but also for other reasons.

The main causes of drowsiness are as follows:

• physical as well as mental fatigue;
• insufficient oxygen reaching the brain;
• traumatic brain injuries;
• the predominance of inhibitory reactions of the nervous system that occur under the influence of certain drugs or toxic substances;
• you may want to sleep due to brain pathologies if the center responsible for sleep has been affected;
• endocrine pathologies;
• diseases of the internal organs, leading to the release into the blood of a substance that suppresses the activity of the cerebral cortex.

Why is sleeping a lot bad for your health? What happens if you sleep more than normal?

We need to get enough sleep, but scientists warn us against getting too attached to our cozy beds and sofas. Their arguments are quite surprising! What are the dangers of too much sleep?

Diabetes

Studies have shown that, oddly enough, it is triggered by both too little and too much sleep.

Obesity

Scientists' observations confirm that people who sleep 9-10 hours a night are 21% more at risk of obesity within 6 years than those who sleep 7-8 hours. But note: lack of sleep causes the same consequences!

Headache

This problem often appears in people prone to it, especially on weekends and holidays, when they have the opportunity to sleep longer. The same thing happens in people who sleep during the day, which disturbs their sleep at night. Therefore, they suffer from morning headaches.

Spinal pain

It is also harmful to your health to sleep a lot because your spine may suffer. The times when the means of combating this kind of disease was passive lying are fading into oblivion. Now doctors recommend daily physical activity, which brings much greater relief.

Depression

Insomnia is usually associated with this condition (and rightly so). But about 15% of people with depression sleep too much, which experts say can make their condition worse. Why? Because regular sleep habits help fight the disorder.

Heart diseases

A study of 72,000 women found that those who slept 9-11 hours a day were 38% more likely to have heart disease than women who slept 8 hours. Doctors are still researching what the secret of this addiction lies.

Physiological drowsiness

Often, for one reason or another, a person has to go without sleep for a very long time. If he does not sleep for a long time, the nervous system forcibly goes into inhibition mode.

This mode can be triggered by an overload of receptors (auditory, visual, pain or tactile). This inhibition can manifest itself in a person falling into a kind of trance or short drowsiness, which occurs due to the inclusion of slow beta waves, characteristic of the rapid phase of sleep.

Hypnotists or psychotherapists can put you into such a trance.

The main reasons causing drowsiness and weakness:

• eating;
• simple lack of sleep;
• stress;
• pregnancy.

Most people feel the urge to go to bed after their lunch break.

This phenomenon is explained very simply: when the stomach is full, the digestive system begins to work actively, which reduces the supply of oxygen to the brain. In this regard, the economy mode is activated, and the brain works less actively. Outwardly, it looks like a feeling of weakness and a desire to go to bed.

Often the reasons for the constant desire to sleep lie in a banal lack of sleep. Every person should understand the importance of proper sleep. The norm for daily human sleep is 8 hours.

In order not to constantly feel the urge to sleep, you need to rest for at least this amount of time.

If you sleep less, the body will still demand to make up for this deficiency, the person will begin to feel weak and want to go to bed throughout the day.

Physiological drowsiness in humans can manifest itself as the body’s reaction to stressful situations. When a critical situation first occurs, the adrenal glands release large amounts of cortisol and adrenaline into the body. But this is only at the first stage.

If stress is present for a long time, the adrenal glands become exhausted and the release of hormones decreases. This is where the desire to go to bed arises; sleep in this case serves to protect the body from stress.

Drowsiness during pregnancy is a normal reaction of the body. The fact is that in the first trimester of pregnancy, hormonal changes occur, and the last trimester is characterized by inhibition of the cortex under the influence of hormones. Therefore, it is completely normal for a pregnant woman to want to sleep during the day and sleep longer at night.

What is daytime sleepiness

The state of increased sleepiness is called hypersomnia or somnolence. It can be caused by insomnia or insomnia. The pathology is characterized by a constant desire to sleep, including during the daytime, when nature establishes a cycle of wakefulness and an active lifestyle. Drowsiness is caused by many reasons, which can sometimes be difficult to find in a specific case.

Signs of drowsiness

• yawn;
• feeling of pressure on the eyes, blurred vision;
• decrease in heart rate, blood pressure;
• slowing down actions;
• decreased secretion of the salivary and lacrimal glands;
• weakness;
• difficult awakening;
• lack of energy, vigor;
• irritation, anxiety;
• loss of appetite;
• deterioration of memory, concentration.

Reasons for prolonged sleep in babies under one year old

Sleep norm by hour.

Newborn babies and children under one year old spend most of their time sleeping, and this is a normal need of the body.

The older your child gets, the less time he needs to sleep:

• a child of 1-2 months - up to 18 hours of sleep per day;
• 3-4 months - up to 16-17 hours;
• 5-6 months - up to 15-16 hours;
• 7-12 months - up to 11-14 hours.

The reason for such prolonged sleep in children under one year old lies in the underdevelopment of the child’s nervous system at the time of his birth.

This underdevelopment is not a lag, it is a norm thanks to which a baby can be born, because if the full formation of the brain is completed in utero, the child simply physically will not be able to be born, since he will have a very large head.

Staying in a state of sleep for a long time allows the child to protect himself from overload, giving the nervous system the opportunity to finally develop in a calm state. Newborn babies even have the ability to feed in their sleep; only discomfort can wake them up: dirty diapers, colic, hunger and pain of various types.

This duration of sleep is normal for a baby up to one year old if he is completely healthy; in case of severe illness, increased sleepiness ceases to be the norm and requires immediate intervention from emergency doctors:

• vomiting, diarrhea, or lack of bowel movements;
• increased body temperature;
• head impacts;
• lack of response to touch or voice;
• prolonged absence of sucking on a bottle or breast, urination problems.

Children after one year should also spend a sufficient amount of time sleeping.

All the same reasons as in babies up to one year old, various somatic diseases, can disturb restful sleep.

The elderly man sleeps a lot for a reason. 3 reasons why older people wake up early

3 reasons why older people wake up early

The whole family is asleep, and the 90-year-old grandfather got up before dawn. He puts the kettle on the stove with a crash, preventing everyone in the household from sleeping peacefully. Scientists around the world have been interested in why older people wake up so early for many years (apparently, their elderly relatives also create unnecessary noise at 6 am).

My years are my wealth

My years are my wealth

Unfortunately, with age comes not only wisdom, but also a whole mountain of diseases that really make it difficult to sleep peacefully all night. Joint problems cause obsessive pain. Due to diabetes, prostatitis and other diseases, the genitourinary system works worse, so you often have to get up to relieve yourself.

Also, older people periodically experience depressive states, which prevent them from spending the required 8 hours in bed at night. Insomnia is caused by certain medications they take for their “age-related” illnesses. There are other reasons that prevent people from sleeping long and peacefully in old age.

Biological clock failure

In the human body, everything is subject to an internal “biological” rhythm. It is consistent with the change of day and night, seasons and other cyclical phenomena occurring on our planet. Of course, genes regulate the stability of the biological rhythm.

Everything is “written” in our genetic code: the duration of sleep that suits the body, the ability to get up early or be alert and active at 2 am. Influencing a genetically encoded biological rhythm is a thankless and, moreover, dangerous task, fraught with failure of the immune, hormonal and nervous systems.

A person's biological rhythm does not remain unchanged throughout his life. In youth, when the body is just forming and needs growth hormone synthesized during sleep, a person needs a lot of time to rest.

By the age of 50-60, the need for this hormone almost disappears. The body goes into a kind of economy mode. Less time is spent on physical activity. Metabolism slows down. Biological rhythms also become disrupted: older people begin to sleep less, wake up very early and also go to bed much earlier than in their younger years.

Evolution has tried

The results of an interesting study were published in 2017 on the pages of Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The experiment was carried out on the natives of Tanzania. Actually, the scientists did not do anything special, but simply observed the lifestyle of young and elderly members of the Tanzanian Hadza tribe.

The aborigines, living in almost primitive conditions, have neither electricity nor any other factors that could lead to a disruption in the natural biological rhythm of the body. However, the elderly in the tribes of Tanzania get up as early as the elderly residents of European cities.

At the same time, during the daytime, elderly Hadzi people always sit down somewhere in a secluded corner near the fire and doze off. While the old people are sleeping, the young people are engaged in hunting, cooking and other activities that require significant physical effort.

Scientists who observed the Hadzians came to the conclusion that such an “alternate” sleep pattern between old people and young people was developed over many millions of years. It is designed to provide constant monitoring of the safety of the tribe: while some are sleeping, others are “on duty”, and vice versa.

If you don’t need to protect anyone, go hunting or look after a restless baby, you should enjoy a restful sleep at least in retirement. Buy a new orthopedic mattress, close the curtains tightly, drink a glass of warm milk and sleep peacefully until your body has fully recovered its strength!

Pathological drowsiness

If you want to sleep even in those moments when you don’t feel the need to sleep, then we are talking about pathological drowsiness.

If a person does not get enough normal 8-hour sleep, he feels the desire to go to bed during the day, does not want to get up in the morning and goes to bed early in the evening, then this desire is associated with problems occurring in the body:

• acute infections;
• chronic diseases;
• anemia;
• atherosclerosis;
• idiopathic hypersomnia;
• narcolepsy.

Pathological drowsiness occurs suddenly. This disease is lifelong and requires treatment by doctors.

Is it possible to sleep during the day in hot weather?

Did you know that: in modern medicine there is a new direction - somnology, which studies human sleep, studies the norms and deviations of sleep.

So, according to somnologists, if a loss of strength occurs in hot weather, then sleep is not only possible, but necessary! During sleep, the body produces a minimum of energy, just enough to maintain a normal temperature. The most optimal time for daytime rest is the afternoon break. It is not advisable to sleep in the evening; this can lead to a sleepless night.

Interesting fact : for proper rest and sound sleep, you need to sleep in a cool room. The ideal temperature for sleeping is from 19 to 21 degrees.

Drowsiness during intoxication

With chronic and acute poisoning of the body, the cortex and subcortex become very sensitive. Toxic substances and various medications lead to prolonged drowsiness not only at night, but also during the day.

Inhibitory processes and a feeling of drowsiness can be caused by:

• smoking;
• alcohol;
• psychotropic substances;
• sedatives;
• drugs.

Various diseases of the internal organs can inhibit the functioning of the nervous system and cause a strong desire to sleep.

Drowsiness occurs when:

• kidney and liver disease;
• infections and neuroinfections;
• malignant tumor;
• encephalopathy;
• shocked;
• chronic heart failure;
• bleeding;
• dehydration;
• intestinal obstruction;
• mental disorder.

The causes of drowsiness may be endocrine in nature. Hyperthyroidism, hypocortisolism and diabetes mellitus can also cause a strong desire to sleep. The same desire is caused by various injuries and damage to the brain: bruises, concussions, hemorrhages, etc.

Why do you feel sleepy during the day?

Drowsiness develops gradually: a person is overcome by yawning, thoughts and consciousness become dull, and the eyes close. By slowing down his breathing, he immerses himself in a calm state and falls asleep. Daytime hypersomnia in men, children and women has different causes, some of which are dangerous to health.

Physiological causes of daytime sleepiness

• sleep disturbances (lack of sleep);
• overwork, stress;
• poor lifestyle (non-compliance with sleep-wake cycles);
• diseases;
• poorly ventilated room, stuffiness - oxygen starvation of the brain occurs;
• intoxication with drugs, poisons;
• brain pathology with damage to sleep centers (traumatic brain injury);
• endocrine diseases;
• frequent and strong electromagnetic radiation;
• abuse of caffeine, nicotine;
• hearty lunch, no breakfast;
• winter – lack of sun, dry air due to central heating;
• poor nutrition, lack of vitamins.

Lack of sleep

Forced or forced lack of sleep at night forces the central nervous system to turn on the inhibition mode forcibly. When visual, auditory, tactile or pain receptors are overloaded, a person falls into short-term drowsiness or “trance”.

During this, the daily alpha rhythm of the cortex changes to slow beta waves, corresponding to the rapid phase of sleep (during falling asleep, dreaming). Sleep may last a few seconds, but this significantly reduces performance. Deliberately restricting sleep at night leads to dissipation of attention, decreased motivation, and insufficiently active functioning of the body.

Poor sleep quality also affects daytime sleepiness. It can be reduced by watching TV or the news feed on a smartphone, or artificial light. Lack of sleep is caused by changing climate zones and working at night due to a shift schedule.

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Afternoon sleepiness

If drowsiness appears after lunch, this is due to the functioning of the digestive tract. The volume of the vascular bed exceeds the volume of circulating blood, so a system of its redistribution operates. When the stomach is full, most of the blood moves to it, so the brain gets less during this period. The cortex switches to economy mode and reduces its activity.

Reaction to stress

Physiological sleepiness is often caused by the body's response to stress. At an early stage, a person suffers from increased excitability and insomnia due to the release of adrenaline and cortisol by the adrenal glands. With prolonged stress, the adrenal glands are depleted, their release of hormones decreases, and the time of secretion production shifts. This leads to chronic adrenal insufficiency, apathy, weakness, and fatigue.

Depression causes hypersomnia as a defensive reaction. Severe mental damage leads to a lack of interests and a feeling of hopelessness in the situation. Drowsiness is caused by a lack of neurotransmitter hormones.

Pregnancy

The main causes of drowsiness in women are hormonal changes. It often occurs during pregnancy, toxicosis, or in the last trimester of pregnancy. At the same time, the cortex is inhibited by the production of hormones by the placenta, night sleep lengthens, and you constantly want to sleep during the day. This is the norm for a woman. The danger of daytime sleepiness lies in possible complications of fetal development - anemia, eclampsia.

Causes of pathological hypersomnia

Pathological sleepiness is called hypersomnia. This is an increase in sleep duration without an objective need. A person may sleep well at night, but will continue to feel drowsy during the day. The causes of pathology are deviations in the functioning of the body.

Daytime sleep as a consequence of intoxication

Acute or chronic poisoning affects the cortex, subcortex, and stimulates the reticular formation. The latter provides an inhibitory process caused by drugs and toxins, leading to the fact that during the day you constantly want to sleep. Substances that can cause this condition are:

1. Alcohol is a household poison, which, when it reaches 1.5-2.5% in the blood, leads to severe drowsiness.
2. Nicotine impairs the supply of oxygen to the cerebral cortex, irritates and leads to inflammation of the vascular membranes, which leads to the development of atherosclerosis. The vascular bed suffers from blood clots, there is a need to sleep during the day, and loss of strength.
3. Viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic infections - the most common factor in hypersomnia is herpes. With it, fatigue is combined with weakened immunity, decreased ability to work, and sleep disturbances.

Drowsiness as a symptom of disease

Often you constantly want to sleep during the day due to illnesses. Pathology is caused by:

1. Asthenia (depletion of physical and mental strength of the body) - occurs after acute, chronic severe infectious diseases.
2. Anemia is anemia, in which the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin decreases, and oxygen transfer in the blood is disrupted. Hypoxia and fainting develop.
3. Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels is the overgrowing of the vessels supplying the brain with cholesterol plaques. In this case, ischemia is observed - oxygen starvation of the cortex. A complication is a stroke - rupture or thrombosis of a vessel.
4. Chronic heart failure - depletes cerebral blood flow, leading to oxygen starvation of the cerebral cortex.
5. Encephalopathy – inhibits the activity of the cortex, causing an increased need for sleep.
6. Kidney diseases - nephritis, glomerulonephritis, hydronephrosis, pyelonephritis, cause retention of nitrogenous waste in the blood.
7. Liver diseases - cirrhosis, cancer, hepatitis - make it difficult to cleanse the blood of protein compounds that are toxic to the brain.
8. Neuroinfections – influenza, herpes, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis.
9. Dehydration, bleeding, shock, intestinal obstruction - reduce the volume of circulating blood.
10. Malignant tumors deplete a person.
11. Mental disorders - lead to disruption of biorhythms.
12. Hypothyroidism, hypocortisolism, diabetes mellitus - affect blood vessels.
13. Brain injuries - bruises, concussions, disrupt proper blood flow.

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Taking medications

You may want to constantly sleep during the day from taking medications:

• neuroleptics, tranquilizers;
• psychotropic drugs, antidepressants;
• sleeping pills, barbiturates, sedatives, antihistamines;
• morphine-like drugs.

Idiopathic hypersomnia

An independent disease, idiopathic hypersomnia often develops in youth. It has no reason; the diagnosis is made by exclusion. It develops a tendency to fall asleep during the day during relaxed wakefulness. They are not sharp and sudden, as with narcolepsy; when falling asleep in the evening, the relaxation time is shortened.

Waking up with hypersomnia is difficult and aggressive. Gradually, patients' social, professional, family connections, skills, and ability to work weaken.

Sopor

Lethargic sleep is a disorder in which the patient falls into a long sleep, during which all vital processes slow down. A person sleeping in a lethargic sleep has no skin and pupil reflexes, his heart beats barely noticeably, his breathing is very rare and almost undetectable.

A person can fall into this state due to nervous exhaustion, starvation, mental illness, and lethargic sleep can be caused by intoxication or severe dehydration.

If a person constantly experiences a feeling of fatigue and drowsiness, he should understand that the reasons for this can be very diverse.

Therefore, it is necessary to undergo a detailed diagnosis to find out all the circumstances that lead to such a disorder.

Moreover, an urgent visit to a doctor is required if, even after a long sleep, the desire to go back to sleep does not disappear, but, on the contrary, increases.

What happens from a long sleep

Most often, increased sleep time does not bring any inconvenience to a person. On the contrary, when you want to sleep, many hours spent in bed are only beneficial. This is especially true during heavy psycho-emotional or physical stress, when the body requires rest. This is quite physiological.

Important!

If a person constantly sleeps a lot, then this is a reason to think about health, even if there are no signs of illness.

Reasons why sleeping too much is bad:

1. The risk of depression and other mental illnesses increases. What is the connection with long sleep duration is still unknown, but this is a fact confirmed by research.
2. Cognitive functions decrease. The ability to solve non-standard problems is lost, concentration of attention decreases, and memory decline occurs.
3. The risk of cardiovascular diseases increases. Thus, according to NAHNES, people who sleep more than 8 hours per night are 2 times more likely to have angina and 10% more likely to have coronary insufficiency.
4. A stroke is more likely. Due to the slowing of blood flow during sleep, blood delivery to the brain is reduced, which in a certain group of people can cause ischemic stroke.
5. There is a tendency to gain weight. It is not yet clear whether the reason for this is: do obese people sleep longer, or do people who sleep a lot gain weight more often than others? In any case, neither one nor the other is the norm.
6. Negative effect on circadian rhythms. Staying in dark rooms for a long time changes the production of hormones, in particular melatonin, which disrupts the body's daily biorhythms.
7. Diabetes. Some doctors see a connection between diabetes and excessive sleep, and just like with weight gain, it is not clear what is the cause and what is the effect.

And this is not a complete list of what will happen if you sleep a lot. Scientists continue to research sleep. There is even a special branch of medicine dedicated to sleep - somnology.