Madrid, Mar 15 (EFE).- Sleep is a vital function for both physical and mental health, but chronically not getting enough sleep or with the required quality can increase mortality by up to 20 percent and in the Half of the cases can lead to mental disorders.
This was announced this Wednesday at a press conference by Ana Teijeira, a clinical neurophysiologist and coordinator of the events that the Spanish Sleep Society (SES) is organizing on the occasion of the World Day that is commemorated next Friday, and the president of the Spanish Society of Dual Pathology (SEPD), Carlos Roncero.
Day that this year is celebrated precisely under the motto “Sleep is essential for health” because while we sleep we not only consolidate memory and learning, but we eliminate toxins that prevent the brain from functioning properly so that the next day we can have a performance optimal, explained the expert.
In addition, different body systems are regulated during sleep, from the hormonal to the immune, metabolic and cardiovascular systems, with which poor and little sleep has a direct impact on health.
Less hours, worse quality of life
“Chronically poor sleep can increase a person’s mortality by 20%,” warned Teijeira, who warned that poor sleep also increases the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes, or suffering infections and even certain types of cancer.
30% of the world population claims to sleep less than 6 hours and this, in the long term, “generates a series of deficits and chronic diseases that can have a serious impact on people’s quality of life,” he insisted.
In Spain, according to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), more than 10% of the population -more than 4 million people- suffers from some type of chronic and severe sleep disorder and 30% -that is, more than 12 million – wake up feeling like they haven’t had a good night’s sleep or end the day feeling very tired.
However, “sleep disturbances have not always been classified with sufficient relevance,” reported Roncero, head of the Psychiatry service of the Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca.
Also mental health
Because in addition, bad sleep has a bidirectional relationship with mental health: according to the data provided by the psychiatrist, between 60% and 70% of mental disorders are associated with some sleep disturbance, especially insomnia, It occurs in six out of ten older people.
And about half of patients with chronic sleep disorders “end up developing some symptom of a mental disorder.”
As an added problem, many people end up resorting to depressant-type substances (such as alcohol) mistakenly believing that they help to fall asleep, when the sleep they generate is superficial and not very restful and can end up leading to anxiety or depression.
A good sleep: quantity and quality
But what is a good dream? According to the neurophysiologist, it depends on age, so that adults need between six and seven hours a day to avoid generating sleep debt; but the sleep must also be of quality, not waking up much at night and maintaining a “reasonable” night time.
Although it is “a vital” and “basic” function of the human being “like breathing”, unlike this, it can be modified by our habits, social or work; In this sense, night or shift work makes it very difficult to sleep well.
Environmental or climatic factors may also influence; In Spain, according to experts, daylight hours are quite “acceptable to promote quality sleep, what is debatable is the rationalization of schedules.”
What can be done to try to have quality sleep? Well, maintain healthy lifestyle habits, such as doing physical exercise appropriate to the characteristics of each person, following a heart-healthy diet with light and soft dinners or avoiding alcohol intake for at least four hours after going to sleep, six if it is caffeine, chocolate or energy drinks.
Also try to have low levels of stress and anxiety during the day and follow a regular, stable and reasonable sleep schedule, trying to go to sleep and get up at the same time, fleeing from screens and activities such as working or watching television from bed.
The bed should be associated only with sleep; Therefore, if you cannot sleep, you have to get up and promote a relaxed activity. And if none of this works, consult a professional.