Scary Dream: Why the brain starts killing itself
Lack of sleep negatively affects the mammalian brain — this is the conclusion reached by Italian scientists after experiments with mice. Due to lack of sleep, the main organ actually launches a self-destruction program, because it does not have time to properly carry out cleaning processes. Not only damaged, but also healthy neurons fall under the distribution. Whether the results of the study can be applied to people, which body systems suffer from poor night's rest and what quality sleep should be — in the material of Izvestia.
What are glial cells?
An experiment by scientists has confirmed that lack of sleep negatively affects the mammalian brain. Ilya Smirnov, a therapist and somnologist at the Be Healthy clinic, a doctor of the highest category, explains that this is a study conducted in 2017 by a group of Italian scientists from the Polytechnic University of Marche.
— The experiment was led by neuroscientist Michele Belletse. The research topic is the reaction of the mouse brain to poor sleep, in particular, to the activity of astrocytes, cells that "clean" the brain by severing "unnecessary" neural connections. Prolonged sleep disorders led to cognitive impairment and memory loss," says Ilya Smirnov.
However, the somnologist emphasizes that this study was conducted on mice, and their bodies, although somewhat similar to humans, still have differences. How exactly a person will react to such things is still anyone's guess.
— Indeed, the so—called glial cells — astrocytes and microglia - play a fairly important role in maintaining the nervous system. They help to remove unnecessary connections between neurons. Astrocytes transport substances from the blood to neurons and back, fill in the gaps between neurons, and microglia participate in phagocytosis (absorption) of metabolic products and dead neurons, cleansing the body of damaged cells and their fragments," comments Ilya Smirnov.
But with a lack of sleep or insomnia, glial cells begin to actively destroy healthy areas of the nervous system, the somnologist emphasizes.
Sleep is an integral part of life, it must be full—fledged and of high quality, emphasizes Denis Prokofiev, a general practitioner, cardiologist, and holder of the status of "Moscow Doctor."
— First of all, sleep fulfills the task of proper rest for all human systems and organs. Biochemical processes slow down, giving the opportunity to relax the cardiovascular system and reduce the load on the brain. In the absence of quality sleep, the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, depression and problems associated with overexcitation of the nervous system increases significantly," the cardiologist comments.
Chronic lack of sleep triggers the destruction of the brain, since the main problem in disrupting the sleep–wake rhythm is the overstrain of the nervous system and increased stress on our main organ.
According to Denis Prokofiev, as a result, the risk of stroke and so-called syncopal states increases many times, when the brain shuts itself off due to overexertion. At the same time, it seems that the person faints, but he just falls asleep.
— Lack of sleep causes heart rate changes, body temperature fluctuations, shortness of breath, and coughing. This is because virtually all the centers, including the cough and respiratory centers, are located in the brain," explains Denis Prokofiev.
Can I drink coffee before going to bed
Doctors do not recommend neglecting sleep voluntarily. Business and entertainment should be planned so that a night's rest does not suffer.
— Sleep is a physiological state of rest, which is accompanied by a complete or partial cessation of consciousness. Proper rest guarantees recovery and accumulation of energy, promotes mental and physical activity. It is very important to observe sleep hygiene — a set of measures that prepare our body for rest," comments Denis Prokofiev.
The doctor recommends reducing mental stress two hours before bedtime, keeping the room at the right temperature (from 18 to 21 degrees), and not overeating at night.
— Of course, you need to understand that nervous overexertion or stressful situations cause sleep disorders. It should also be borne in mind that taking certain medications and beverages containing caffeine prevents you from falling asleep quickly. Therefore, it is advisable not to use coffee after 14 hours in order to avoid its stimulating effect on the nervous system," continues Denis Prokofiev.
Tonic drinks should also be limited to avoid unnecessary activity in the evening.
Unbalanced sleep and wakefulness patterns lead to insomnia. These two processes should flow smoothly into one another, the expert clarifies.
— How we stay awake affects how we sleep, and vice versa. It is possible to understand whether a person has had enough sleep and how good the rest was after waking up or during the day. Lack of sleep is obvious if there is no cheerfulness when getting up, but drowsiness is felt, especially during the day, and the mood is lowered. As a result, the immune system suffers and existing chronic diseases worsen, warns Ilya Smirnov.
The somnologist advises you to test yourself using a special questionnaire and several variants of the sleepiness scale.
— You can use the Epworth Daytime Sleepiness Scale (ESS). It is a test that includes eight points, each of which helps to assess the likelihood of falling asleep in various everyday situations on a four-point scale. Another test is the Sleepiness Clinical Assessment Scale. It includes 28 questions assessing the severity of physical and mental manifestations of daytime sleepiness,— explains Ilya Smirnov.
Sometimes a person loses healthy sleep against his will.
— The concept of "insomnia" ("insomnia") includes difficulty falling asleep, frequent night or early morning awakenings, as well as daytime sleepiness and fatigue during the day, — comments Prokofiev.
Insomnia is classified into two categories. The first is acute, which does not exceed three months. The second is chronic, it lasts more than three months.
— The acute phase is usually always diagnosed. It often occurs against the background of stressful situations, weather changes, and acute illnesses. Chronic is much less common. Its causes are psychological factors, chronic diseases and improper daily routine and nutrition," the expert continues.
In particular, carbohydrate overeating leads to insomnia.
Health problems can greatly affect the quality of sleep.
"These are primarily endocrinological diseases, namely fluctuations in hormone levels," comments Prokofiev.
How much sleep should I get
The length of a night's rest depends on a person's age. Thus, preschoolers should sleep an average of 10-13 hours a day, children 6-13 years old — from 9 to 11, teenagers — at least eight hours, and adults — from seven to nine hours. Older people wake up more often at night, so it is important for them to maintain their regime and avoid prolonged daytime sleep.
— Single sleep deprivation is undesirable due to circumstances, but it does not pose any problem for a person, especially in the absence of obvious health problems. If regular sleep is normal, then some one-time moments are not important. If sleep is irregular, then such moments can unsettle you for a long time," says Ilya Smirnov.
But getting enough sleep is basically impossible, since the effect of prolonged rest cannot last long. Nevertheless, the somnologist advises people who work on a shift schedule to get enough sleep before work.: this will give you energy, and a person will be able to survive the night normally.
Those who stay in bed longer than usual, plunging into a shallow sleep, are likely to wake up exhausted, the expert is sure. This is an unhealthy trend both physically and socially. When a person sleeps for a very long time, and everyone around them is already beginning to wake up, conflicts and friction are inevitable.
But in this case, Ilya Smirnov advises the household to figure out why one of them has not been active for a long time. It's one thing if a lot of physical and psycho-emotional energy was spent the day before: now the person is recuperating.
— But there are some diseases, such as narcolepsy, when a person just sleeps for a long time. Therefore, in assessing the situation related to sleep problems, it is necessary to look at each person separately: his lifestyle, activity during the day, activities, possible deviations. This will help you understand how to solve sleep problems," summarizes the somnologist.
Do people go crazy from insomnia
The lack of normal sleep is sometimes a very dangerous sign that occurs in various mental disorders, causes their exacerbation and worsens the course of diseases, says psychiatrist and psychotherapist Alexei Vilkov. Sleep is an important moment that always requires monitoring and supervision, since it is inevitably disrupted in all mental illnesses.
— Insomnia itself can also cause anxiety disorders and depression, and in rare cases— psychosis. This condition is popularly called "going crazy." Psychosis is manifested by a violation of perception of reality: the patient has hallucinations, he expresses delusional ideas,— explains Vilkov.
— To avoid such consequences, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle, observe sleep and wakefulness, that is, go to bed at the same time, try to avoid digital information before going to bed. It is also useful to master self—regulation techniques in order to relieve anxiety and create the right attitude for a good quality rest," the psychiatrist continues.
It is the correct lifestyle that is the main measure for the prevention of sleep disorders. And at the first failures, Alexey Vilkov advises to seek help from a neurologist or a psychotherapist. If the sleep disorder is prolonged and requires a thorough diagnosis, then a somnologist, the main specialist in this matter, will help.
— Usually, a somnologist is a neurologist who has received additional education and has undergone retraining. He knows all the secrets of sleep and will give recommendations: medication, psychological and physiotherapy, — says the expert.
How sleep heals
Experts clarify that the expression "sleep heals" has a real basis. For respiratory and viral diseases (pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.), doctors prescribe a home regime — bed rest or semi-bed rest.
Dr. Prokofiev attributes this to the fact that all the body's forces should be directed at fighting the disease, and sleep fully allows you to do this. The body does not need to accelerate the heart rate or expend energy to activate the muscles: it simply fights the disease by activating the immune system.
— That's why doctors even have a method of putting a person into an artificial coma — prolonged drug-induced sleep. In this case, the body has only one task — to overcome the disease, explains Prokofiev.
Prolonged lack of sleep makes itself felt by feelings of heaviness in the head and legs. The general practitioner attributes this to a forced blood supply disorder.
— Horizontal position in a dream removes gravity from the body, reduces the impact of atmospheric pressure on it, which allows you to redistribute blood flow. And this is one of the most important key functions of sleep," says the expert.
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