According to research, insomnia; It can turn you into someone who is less creative, more easily disturbed by everything, distracted, and uses your intelligence much less than normal.
Some Sleep Disorders
Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
Inappropriate falling asleep at hours
Excessive total sleeping hours
Snoring
Sleep apnea (intermittent stopping of breathing during sleep)
Kicking during sleep
Lack of energy and fatigue during the day
br /> Walking in your sleep, wetting the bed or having nightmares
Headaches that start when you wake up in the morning, loss of attention and concentration during the day
Our Basic Need for Sleep
A good sleep; It is a psycho-biological process that renews our energy and prepares us physically and mentally for the day so that we can be healthy, peaceful, serene and even successful during the day. Sleep; It is a very basic need in which we reorganize our previous experiences, lives, emotions and thoughts, make plans, create strategies against difficulties, that is, prepare for the new day to arise.
Sleep is so important for us that almost one-third of our lives are spent asleep.
/> Quality sleep increases a person's energy and makes him fitter. It helps us focus better on our work and relationships by strengthening attention and concentration during the day. Therefore, we experience fewer mistakes and problems and our joy of life increases. With a good sleep, the risk and possibility of accidents and injuries decrease, because we can focus our attention better.
On the other hand, a good sleep; It enables us to have more positive thoughts, increased creativity, improvement in relationships, a healthier mind and body, the feeling, strength, courage and desire to start a day fresh. Due to all these benefits and the fact that it is a basic need, none of us sleep well. Of course, we won't try not to sleep by opposing it. However, due to some problems we experience and subsequent cognitive errors we make, our sleep quality may decrease and we may begin to experience sleep problems.
People of all ages can be affected by sleep disorders, but many people are not aware that they actually have a sleep disorder.
If you have a sleep disorder. problems with sleep for more than months If you have difficulty falling asleep, have a wake-sleep-wake cycle throughout the night, wake up too early and cannot fall back asleep, or have poor sleep quality, you may be experiencing a sleep disorder.
Sleep problems are especially common in today's demanding lives. Although it is one of the most common problems in the following conditions; If it is seen as a part of another disorder such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, it also requires individual treatment.
Although sleep disorders can occur due to stress or other reasons, it is usually caused by another disorder that keeps them going. There are factors.
If you have negative thoughts about sleep and getting enough sleep, you may most likely experience a vicious cycle like this: You start having a sleep problem, usually due to stress, intense pain, or another reason, then you try to sleep by taking a nap, Or you will disrupt your sleep pattern even more by constantly turning over in bed and trying to sleep. Then you start dwelling on your negative thoughts and fighting them. For example, thoughts such as "If I don't sleep now, I won't be able to do any of my work the next day" or "I must sleep for 8 hours" appear and you focus on these thoughts. This focus will undoubtedly cause you more anxiety, and not being able to sleep will make you even more stressed. This anxiety and tension causes more insomnia, and this situation returns to the beginning again, and the vicious cycle continues in the same way.
The key and key point in this table is the meanings you attach to your insomnia and the conclusions you draw from insomnia, and these thoughts reinforce this vicious circle. .
Negative Thought Styles Regarding Insomnia
Catastrophizing the sleep problem: For example, “I couldn't sleep well at all last week, my sleep pattern is completely disrupted now, it will be difficult to get better again!” Someone who thinks, “I didn't sleep well at all last week, I need to identify the things that stress me out and do something” will be much more distressed than someone who thinks, “Blame everything on insomnia: Insomnia can negatively affect concentration, memory, and work performance.” But these problems are not the only reason Neither is it! You may need to investigate whether you have other reasons.
Unrealistic expectations: Adopting a rigid idea about the ideal sleep time is also a situation that negatively contributes to the problem of insomnia. Some people are almost sure that if they do not sleep 8 hours a day, the next day will be very bad. In fact, everyone's sleep time needs are different, and setting clear and strict goals and rules regarding sleep time creates performance anxiety and makes it difficult to fall asleep. Unhelpful thinking styles: Exaggerated thinking, black-and-white thinking, overgeneralization, Thought styles such as selectivity in perception also play a role in the continuation of sleep problems. For example, people with sleep problems clearly remember the times when they slept insufficiently, but they do not remember the times when they slept well, meaning they are selective in perception. Another example is that they describe their sleep as either “perfect” or “terrible”, which is an example of black-and-white thinking; However, most of the time, a moderate sleep evaluation should be possible. If your sleep problem does not improve due to these negative thoughts, you can identify them and replace them with more functional and realistic thoughts. Remember that if negative thoughts and errors in judgment continue; Emotions such as tension, anxiety, and anger may tire you more and your quality of life may deteriorate further. On the contrary, every healthy thought you adopt about your sleep becomes an important part of a healthy sleep and therefore your quality of life.
Your Sleep Hygiene is Important
Let's talk about some sleep hygiene rules that we recommend you follow for healthy and quality sleep:
/> Do not sleep during the day.
Stop stimulating activities (physical and mental) close to bedtime.
Do not take stimulant foods and drinks (such as coffee) close to bedtime.
Make sure the environment you sleep in is sufficiently ventilated, warm, and comfortable. Make sure it is illuminated as much as possible.
Have a ritual such as “taking a warm shower, relaxing herbal tea, reading a book, and then going to sleep.”
Do physical relaxation and breathing exercises.
Set a bedtime and set a bedtime. stick to the clock
Use the bedroom only for sleeping and sexual intercourse.
Leave your mobile phone out of your bedroom!!
Do not use your mobile phone alarm, get a small clock with an alarm.
When you wake up at night do not look at the clock.
Instead of struggling with the thoughts that come to your mind when you wake up at night, slow down your breathing and focus on your breathing.
Set a wake-up time and stick to this time.
During the day; Try to notice the negative thoughts mentioned above that come to your mind and replace them with logical and healthy ones.
If your sleep disorder continues despite implementing all these suggestions, be sure to get professional help.
Keywords: Sleep disorder, insomnia, sleep hygiene, sleep problems, sleep problem, coping with sleep problem
Güzide TÜRKYILMAZ
Expert Psychological Counselor
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