When we feel a sensation similar to "laziness" we relate it to a bad sleep, but this is not necessarily the case. The reason could be behind some medical pathologies that can originate different states.
Anemia can be one of them, as well as digestive bleeding or menstruation. Also, hormonal alterations in the thyroid or even diabetes. However, there is a wide range of physical situations that can cause fatigue.
Therefore, before worrying, we must learn to differentiate fatigue from drowsiness. The latter encompasses having the ease, or tendency, to fall asleep, at times of low alertness, or to seem "bored" or sluggish.
"Theoretically, we should not have drowsiness if there was a good rest during the night," addedDr. Liliana Estrada, a specialist in Sleep Medicine.
Important aspects to take into account:
Dr. Estrada clarified that sleep changes with age. Therefore, it is important to review the range of hours to sleep depending on your age:
- Older adults: 6 ½ to 7 ½
- Adults: 7 ½ to 8 ½ adults
- Children: 9 to 15 children
"To monitor whether I slept well or not, I can ask myself: (when I open my eyes in the morning) do I feel good, or heavy? Or, for example, do we notice that it takes us more than 2 hours to become active once we get out of bed? We should also ask ourselves: Is my level of attention during the day okay or do I need more wakefulness?", the specialist explained.
What are the sleep disorders?
Among the most common sleep disorders, and the ones that are treated are:
- Insomnia characteristics: I sleep few hours, or I have poor sleep quality; also I wake up and the sleep was not restful. Also, I have difficulty initiating sleep, or we do not manage to sustain it throughout the night. "It is not normal to wake up and not be able to go back to sleep," said Dr. Estrada.
- Characteristics of sleep apnea: moments when we hear that our family member stops breathing for short periods during sleep. "This produces an intermittent decrease in oxygenation; and it is a pathology that we have to treat, and the therapy sometimes requires a comprehensive approach".
Among the options are losing weight, using a mask when sleeping, or even requiring surgery; it can also be the union of all these solutions.
- Characteristics of behavioral disorders, REM sleep disorders, and associated movements: this includes restless legs syndrome. These conditions deserve to be seen, as they may be benign, or even a symptom of the onset of dementing disorders (diseases of the central nervous system).
- Characteristics of circadian cycle disorders: causes sleep to lose quality, and the architecture of sleep phases suffers. "This disorder gives a lot of sleepiness during the day; therefore, it requires specific treatment," Dr. Estrada determined.
There are more than 90 sleep pathologies, and according to the specialist, the longer we delay in seeking help, the more chronic the disorder tends to become. That is why if we present some of the following symptoms, we advise you to consult a certified somnologist:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Less than 6 hours of sleep per day
- Snoring
- Awakenings with choking sensation and palpitations
- High blood pressure upon awakening
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Muscle aches at dawn
- Presence of daytime drowsiness
- Behavioral disturbances
"At SleepMed we manage real expectations in the patient, and we aim for every patient to learn, within his or her individual case, which is the most appropriate therapy," concluded Dr. Estrada.
For this reason, in addition to medical accompaniment, we offer a guide of tips to implement better sleep habits on a daily basis:
- Wake up at the same time, in order to maintain regularity.
- Sunbathe 5 minutes daily, in the morning, if there is no contraindication from a dermatologist to do so. "This way we synchronize our biological rhythms in conjunction with melatonin."
- Pay attention to the amount of caffeine ingested daily. It should be remembered that we can find it in coffee, black tea, fizzy drinks, energy drinks, and in chocolates.
- Avoid smoking
- Do not take naps during the day
- Seek hobbies and maintain a balanced life: family, personal and work.
- Set limits on the use of electronic devices
- At night, stay in the twilight, and keep a dim light in the house.
- After the age of 55, it is normal that the level of melatonin in the body decreases; therefore, it is recommended to consult a somnologist if sleep disorders are present.
- Do not exercise at night, or at least four hours before going to sleep.
- Avoid alcohol and large meals before going to sleep.
- Not to be worried about the time, not to measure sleep so much.
- Doing "boring things before bedtime" (an hour and a half before) to achieve that transition from wakefulness to sleep.
- Not using your bedroom as an office
- Entering the bedroom when you already feel like sleeping
- Not worrying about a day when you don't sleep well.
You can review all this information through the following video: