THEthe drama of insomnia. We will sleep an extra hour, here we are: come back there‘winter time. And with her every reflection on her abolition and on the beatification of the “beautiful and healthy sleep”, for eight hours straight. What – they say – would make us rested and happy. “Meanwhile switching between standard time and daylight saving time is no small matter»Begins Giuseppe Plazzi, professor of Neurology at the University of Bologna, where he directs the Center for Sleep Disordersand president of the Italian Sleep Medicine Association.
Sleep well (Getty Images)
“Interference to the circadian rhythm (determined by the movement back and forth of the hands, ed), in fact, they materialize in lost sleep, with repercussions on both mental health and mood. For this reason, at the European level, the abolition of summer time is being considered (energy crisis permitting, ed). The link between well-being and eight hours of sleep is also not an established truthbut it’s only the average recommended for everyone by the National Sleeping Foundation “
In the US, where many are forced to travel often from one coast to another, subtracting and adding three hours, the president already twenty years ago Bill Clinton had pointed out the sleep deprivation that follows one of the national emergencies»Adds Plazzi, author of The three brothers who never slept (Il Saggiatore), a novel inspired by the many short, long and disturbed dormitories he followed. “Sleep is not a passive phenomenonThe professor continues. «More than rest it is work, also for our metabolism. Those who sleep less than they would need, get fat, have high blood pressure and insulin levels, so they live in constant pre-diabetes. Victims of sleep disorders are also more at risk for addictions and learning disabilities. We speak of “disturbance”, however, only if insomnia interferes with the activities of the following day »he adds.
Insomnia and solar time: better sleeping pills or discipline?
In short, it should be widespread a true culture of sleep even in schools, underlines the neurologist, where children also sleep in rooms full of light and messy. In any case, our need for sleep changes over time: in the first year of life, at least fifteen are needed (scattered between day and night), then the night block becomes compact and there is only the afternoon nap, at least until the age of four. The need for long sleeps returns, however, in adolescence. With the growth, the problem of insomnia, which should never be neglected, recommends Plazzi. «I especially address the women who are its privileged victims and that I invite you to devote the same attention to the “sleep cure” as the clothes chosen to protect yourself from the cold. Discovered how many hours it takes to feel good, you have to stick to the rules that lead straight to the goal ». For example, the neurologist again enumerates: “Sleep in a room that is neither too hot nor cold, with medium blankets and in the dark. It is forbidden to turn on the light of the PC or mobile phone during awakenings: otherwise the stimuli transmitted from the eye to the brain block the production of melatonin (the hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, which regulates the circadian rhythm, ed) and fall asleep more. And then you need to empty your bladder before going to bed, not to drink alcohol and not to overeat at dinner. If you apply these rules they are more effective than sleeping pills ».
«The confirmation comes from a study in 2017 on Jama (Journal of the American Medical Association) which compares the benefits against insomnia of cognitive-behavioral therapy with those of drugs: it has emerged that they are equal and the British health system today prefers to pay patients for psychotherapy sessions online rather than pills »concludes Plazzi.
To sleep, mindfulness that helps
In the meantime, it has landed on Netflix The Headspace guides: sleep, a miniseries that reveals the secrets of regenerating sleep and guides you to relaxation. Paradoxical, given that only five years ago Netflix CEO Reed Hastings explained binge watching, the compulsive viewing mechanism that has made the platforms successful: “You find a series or a film that you are dying to see and you end up staying awake until late at night: our competitor is basically sleep ». It is not surprising, then, that for Kathryn Nicolai, yoga and meditation teacher“the “off” point, turn off your cell phone and TV an hour before going to bedIs the start of the evening routine. She, who has created a podcast that has become over 70 million downloads And in the end, nothing happens (Mondadori), relaxing stories against insomnia, he follows him «from journaling: I write down the thoughts of the day on a sheet of paper to free my mind. Then I take off my make-up to take care of myself and read a relaxing book with my wife and the two dogs, “he says.
“I was four years old when I started reading to fall asleep, today stories help me even when I wake up. The book was created to help those who practice with me and increasingly confide in me problems of insomnia and anxiety. Practicing mindfulness before falling asleep means disconnecting from the past and the futurefrom projects and worries: it means noticing the effect of the sheets in contact with the skin, the clean smell of the pillow, the sound of breathing.
Using the senses to observe the environment is a quick and easy way to feel grounded in the present moment »adds Nicolai. She prefers the collection In the kitchen, during a storm. «It narrates the preparation of spaghetti with tomato sauce on a rainy evening. For a year, in high school, I lived in Salerno as a guest of a family I am still in contact with. There is also the recipe written by the lady of the house… ». And there will also be a narcotic recipe in between, a taylor-made formula to be found.
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