Jakarta, IO – Rest and sleep are the needs of all living creatures, especially humans. However, some people cannot get the maximum benefit from their sleep time because they experience sleep disorders. Adults need up to seven hours of sleep a day. Not just the duration, the quality of sleep determines how well the body gets rest. Difficult conditions or frequent disturbances during sleep can make the body unfit.
“Sleep is an important human need. In the long term, sleep disturbances can even trigger strokes and cause dementia. The sleep disorder that is most often complained of is insomnia. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) states that it is called insomnia if the initiation into sleep or sleep on set has passed 30 minutes, but you cannot fall asleep, including frequently waking up during sleep and waking up very early,” said dr. Rizka Ibonita, Sp.N, a neurologist from RSPON Prof. dr. Mahar Mardjono, Jakarta, in a live IG with the theme “Don’t Ignore Sleep Disorders in Women” which was held Friday (22/12/2023).
She added that the human body has a rhythm of life which is an internal process in the body to regulate wake-sleep times for 24 hours; this process is usually called circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms ensure that all body functions and processes run optimally for 24 hours by working together with the brain and are also directly influenced by environmental cues, especially light sources. In simple terms, circadian rhythms are like the body’s biological clock, which regulates important processes for the body starting, when to wake up and sleep.
Neurotransmitters in the Brain
Several components in the body form circadian rhythms and chemical cells in the brain or neurotransmitters respond to light and darkness. The eyes detect external changes in the form of brightness and darkness of environmental light and then send signals to different cells about when to feel sleepy and when to wake up. These cells then send more to parts of the brain that activate other functions that make us more tired or keep us alert.
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As revealed by dr. Rizka, women more often experience sleep disorders. “In fact, 15% of women experience insomnia because their hormones fluctuate more due to their monthly cycles, also during pregnancy and after giving birth. Hormonal conditions are more fluctuating, making women more prone to anxiety and stress. Another reason is that women’s brains have the ability to multitask, so that when they should be sleeping, their brains are still working. Be careful, lack of sleep is a known cause of strokes and dementia. Apart from insomnia, there are also parasomnia disorders like sleep talking or sleepwalking; and hypersomnia, the condition of falling asleep easily, anywhere, anytime,” she added.
At the end, dr. Rizka said that the first therapy for sleep disorders is limiting caffeine consumption and practicing sleep hygiene. Consultation with an expert can be done if sleep disorders persist. (est)