The main causes of sleep disorders
We all know the importance of having a good night's sleep and even then many of us have often lost sleep. Sometimes premeditated and others simply involuntarily. Sleep disorders are, today, one of the most common , having a considerable flood in the population.
40% of the Spanish population suffers from one of these disorders and 10% suffer from chronic disease. There are 100 types of sleep disorders registered by the World Health Organization (WHO). These include insomnia (reduced sleeping capacity), hypersomnia (excessively prolonged and deep sleep), parasomnias (conduct disorder during sleep with brief episodes of awakening), sleepwalking (automatic motor activities while remains unconscious), sleep paralysis (transient inability to perform any type of voluntary movement during the transition period between the sleep and wake state), etc.
- Related article: "Avoid the effects of insomnia with these 5 basic keys"
What are sleep disorders?
Sleep disorders, as their name suggests, are significant sleep problems. They can be alterations to fall asleep and remain asleep, problems to stay awake and inrush of sleep, so that a normal rhythm of sleep is not allowed.
What are the causes of sleep disorders?
There is a close relationship between sleep disorders and quality of life, physical and psychiatric health. Some of these sleep disorders are caused by cardiovascular, hormonal, metabolic, neurological diseases and those that cause pain. In addition, we must add those caused by psychiatric diseases such as anxiety and depression. Pregnancy and menopause can also cause sleep problems, such as insomnia, a condition that, as we mentioned earlier, reduces the ability to sleep.
Among other causes that prevent adequate sleep, are the abuse of medication, bad sleep habits, excessive work and use of electronic devices before going to sleep. However, genetic predispositions always play a significant role.
1. Drug abuse
There are medications that affect sleep, such as beta-blocker (used to treat hypertension and arrhythmias), by inhibiting the nocturnal secretion of the hormone melatonin responsible for the regulation of sleep and circadian clock of the same, produces nightmares and night awakenings. Corticosteroids (used to treat inflammation of blood vessels and muscles, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, allergic reactions ...) exhausts the adrenal glands thus keeping the body awake and the mind stimulated , in addition to SSRI antidepressants, alpha-blockers, statins ...
2. Bad sleep habits
Having a good sleep hygiene is essential to lead a healthy and productive life, so you have to learn to have a good sleep habit. We must avoid going to bed very late and not sleeping long enough to recover the energies spent. The consequences of not having a good habit of sleep are fatigue and fatigue, in some cases triggering a state of worry at the time of wanting to sleep that makes it impossible for us to sleep.
3. Excessive work and new technologies
One of the causes that appears more frequently in our lives is the excess of work, which causes more stress, affecting the quality of sleep and causing more difficulties to be able to reconcile it. Not only does excessive work deprive us of a quality dream but the excessive use of new technologies (such as mobile phones, tablets, televisions and computers) excite our nervous system so much during the day to day can get to misfit the internal clock and alter the hormones that help you fall asleep.
Author: Natalia Matusiak
