Sleep
In this article, it is planned to explain the concepts of sleep, stages of sleep and sleep hygiene. First of all, if we try to define sleep; It is a process that covers one third of our lives, has significant effects on both our mental and physical health, is necessary for us to live a normal and healthy life, and is a process in which the brain is active but closed to external stimuli. It may not be appropriate to make a clear definition of sleep because there are still unknowns about sleep and many studies are being conducted on sleep. In addition, many studies are now in common ground regarding the importance of sleep.
It has been proven that sleep is not a simple process of rest and silence, but actually has a complex and mysterious structure full of unknowns. Sleep is thought to be important in many functions (Güleç G., 2018). These; It includes functions such as body renewal and growth, preservation of metabolic energy, preservation of intellectual performance, neuronal maturation (REM), learning and memory (REM). It has been determined that the brain is active during sleep, involves neurophysiological renewal and repair, and processes such as storing what has been learned and preparing for wakefulness. Sleep is very important for the renewal of the body and the proper functioning of hormones. Many studies on sleep and memory have proven that sleep is very critical for recording memory (Öztürk and Uluşahin, 2016; p. 478). Sleep deprivation has serious negative effects, both physiological and psychological. In short, sleep is very important in our vital cycle.
Sleep Phases
Sleep basically consists of two phases. Scientific names: They are REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and Non-REM (Non Rapid Eye Movement). Non-REM consists of four phases. From this perspective, we can say that sleep actually has five stages. In a natural sleep, there are 4-5 cycles between REM and NonREM (such as nonREM- REM- NonREM- REM).
REM sleep can also be known as desynchronized sleep, D sleep, reverse, paradoxical and active sleep. . During the REM period, brain activities and EEG are as in the waking state, muscle tone decreases and the physical state is in the most inactive mode. Additionally, REM sleep The most important feature of the eye is rapid eye movements. During this process, dreams are also seen. Pulse and breathing may become irregular and increased, and irregular muscle movements may occur. “Functional imaging studies show that brain energy metabolism during the REM period may be the same or even higher than during wakefulness” (Öztürk and Uluşahin, 2016, p. 477). In nonREM sleep, brain activities and metabolic rate are low. Sympathetic activities and pulse decrease. On the other hand, parasympathetic activity increases. Its other name is S (synchronized, silent) sleep. NonRem sleep is divided into four stages according to brain activities and EEG changes. In NonREM, Phase 1 is the transition from wakefulness to sleep. Sleep is very light during this stage. Eye movements are slow. Stage 2 is the long sleep phase where sleep begins to deepen. Eye movements slow down even more and muscle movements slow down even more. However, sleep is still not deepened. Stage 3, sleep deepens and delta wave occurs. In Phase 4, delta waves increase further. Sleep is quite deep in this stage. Behaviors such as talking during sleep, walking, and bedwetting occur during this stage. Stage 5 can be listed as REM sleep. This sequence may repeat 4-5 times during the night. “In a healthy young person, 2-3% of all sleep is stage 1, 45-55% is stage 2, 3-8% is stage 3, and 10-15% is stage 4.” The REM period is one fifth of the total sleep. In a normal sleep, the first REM occurs on average after 90-120 minutes. (Öztürk and Uluşahin, 2016; p. 477). In humans, the sleep cycle and its content vary depending on age.
If we briefly touch on the subject of sleep disorders, since sleep is a complex process, sleep-related disorders are also diverse. Sleep disorders in DSM – 5; It is divided into diagnoses such as insomnia disorder, hypersomnolence disorder (narcolepsy), breathing-related sleep disorders, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, parasomnias, substance or drug-related sleep disorders, other specified sleep disorder, and unspecified sleep disorder (American Psychiatric Association, DSM, 2014). ).
Sleep disorder is an important condition that needs to be examined in detail. “As with most medical conditions, evaluation of sleep disorders begins with a meticulous history” (Pıçak, İsmailoğulları et al., 2010). For this reason, individuals who apply as clinicians are asked whether they routinely sleep or not. We may need to make a verse. Generally, the person applying for this issue; It is important that we ask questions about issues such as falling asleep (diving), events during sleep (dreams, teeth grinding, etc.), waking up (early, late, type of awakening). In addition, processes such as age, medications used, sleep habits/hygiene, other disease findings, and, if necessary, a sleep laboratory should be examined (Öztürk and Uluşahin, 2016, p. 478).
Sleep Hygiene
The things that need to be taken into consideration for a healthy and natural sleep process are defined as sleep hygiene. We now see that almost everyone is somewhat informed about sleep hygiene. In this article, the most basic issues to consider regarding sleep hygiene are listed below:
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Sleep discipline is important. Accordingly, having consistent/consistent bedtime and wake-up times will improve your sleep quality. Having pre-sleep routines that calm you down before sleep will also improve your sleep quality (such as a warm bath).
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Adults taking long naps during the day, other than night sleep, disrupts their sleep routines. Therefore, do not have sleep breaks longer than 1 hour.
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Associate your bed with sleep. Apart from sleeping activities, do not do activities such as eating, entertainment, or television in your bed.
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Your bedroom should be a calm, peaceful place that makes you feel safe. Having stimulating items or scents in your bedroom will disrupt sleep quality. Additionally, make sure your bedroom is dark or not too bright.
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Getting sunlight during the day, getting enough oxygen and exercising regularly improves the quality of night sleep.
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Do not consume stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol before sleep. Do not consume food close to sleep. You can consume drinks that will relax you.
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Do not force yourself to go to bed before you feel sleepy.
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Psychological reasons that may affect sleep quality will need to be treated. For example, psychological traumas, depression and anxiety problems can disrupt sleep quality. In such a case, it is necessary to get support from a professional.
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It may be useful to consult a doctor to investigate other reasons that may affect sleep. can. It is known that other diseases also disrupt sleep quality (American Sleep Association, 2018).
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