Rest is one of those themes that return repeatedly, since many times we cannot “find the way around it.”
One of the reasons is that its resolution
seems unapproachable
: the causes of not sleeping can fall into a wide range of possibilities ranging from insomnia and stress to sleep disorders.
The fact that the causes are difficult to resolve can make us fall into the same place and
resign ourselves
to the fact that sleeping poorly is a destiny.
Despite this, science currently
offers answers
.
The aforementioned sleep hygiene proposes, through the implementation of simple routines, to create the conditions for rest to occur.
We tend to understand the moment of rest as the one that begins the moment we go to bed, and we try to fall into the benefits of sleep.
It's probably time to understand that
we can implement changes
to rest better.
And that these changes involve paying attention to what we do during the day.
Chronobiology has much to teach us in this direction.
In a recent article in Clarín, Juan Antonio Madrid, considered one of the
greatest international exponents
of this science, explained the biological causes why it is more difficult to sleep as we age, and gave guidelines for achieving it.
In this second installment of the extensive talk with Madrid - who is also director of the Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory at the University of Murcia, and author of
“Chronobiology.
A guide to discover your biological clock”
(Editorial Platform) - the professional shares simple adjustments that can help us feel better.
—What is chronobiology, the internal clock and circadian rhythms?
— Chronobiology is the science that studies biological rhythms, that is, the predictable periodic changes in any function of our body.
For example, in blood pressure;
in hormones, such as melatonin, which rises at night, cortisol which we have a peak in the morning;
Sleep and wakefulness itself is another biological rhythm, which has a repetition, a 24-hour cadence.
Well, that is the objective of chronobiology, the study of biological rhythms, of the clocks that cause those rhythms, and of the synchronizers that set those clocks to hours.
—And
those synchronizers, what would they be?
— Of our internal clocks, the most important is in the brain, in the hypothalamus, and is called the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
But we also have clocks in all organs: in the liver, in the heart, in the muscles, in the adipose tissue.
Those internal clocks go out of adjustment daily.
The usual thing is that they have a delay of about 15, 20, or 30 minutes each day, therefore it is important that we set them on time daily.
The way we set the time is not by looking at our wristwatch, our biological clocks do not understand that.
The way to synchronize it and set the time is through external time signals.
For example, sunrise and sunset, that is, the natural light-dark cycle.
We also set them on time with our meal times.
And if they are regular, if they are stable, they also help us synchronize the clocks.
Sleep schedules also help us, if we maintain them regularly... Any signal, that is regular, that is predictable, that comes from outside can help us synchronize our internal clocks.
—
What happens, for example, if a person has regular rhythms during the week because they work, but on the weekend absolutely all those parameters change, because they can rest more, they can eat later, and relax their routines?
— This is a problem that we are detecting in a very high percentage of the population, especially in young people: during the week they get up early, get up early, wake up with an alarm clock because they have to go to work, or school, at a certain time .
Due to a series of alterations in our habits, we are going to sleep a little later each time, in such a way that during the week we go to bed late, but we get up very early, and that causes for four or five days of the week a sleep deficit, a sleep deprivation.
Juan Antonio Madrid is a pioneer in the development of chronobiology in Spain.
Photo courtesy.
When the weekend arrives and there is no limitation of having to get up early, what happens is that there is a lengthening of sleep times. We are going to sleep what we need and a little more, because we are going to try to catch up on sleep. lost and we experience what is called social
jet lag
, which occurs when our schedules change, sleeping, waking up, in the duration of sleep;
and meal times also change.
And social
jet lag
when it lasts more than approximately two hours is considered a significant alteration of biological rhythms, which has negative consequences on health.
Sleep is the best repair shop our body has, says Madrid
—What
are these negative consequences?
— It depends on age, for example, what we observe in adolescents is that the more social
jet lag
they experience, it means that their internal clocks are more out of adjustment with that social time imposed by schedules.
To the extent that this imbalance is greater than two hours, there is a decrease in academic grades, greater absenteeism, there is also an increase in inflammation markers, in hemoglobin glycosylation markers that are related to higher levels. glucose, greater tendency to be overweight.
There is also something that worries me a lot, which is a greater tendency towards depression and mood disorders.
In general, it is a lack of motivation, they have greater irritability, less empathy.
There are a series of consequences that are associated, but they are largely due to the fact that during the week these people are sleep deprived.
In the case of adults, very similar metabolic and mood effects also occur.
It is something that we should try to correct, but not because during the weekend we should do the same thing as during the week, such as getting up at the same time with the alarm clock, but rather try to correct what we are doing during the weekdays, and try to go to bed a little earlier.
That's where the solution would be.
—
What happens if sleep is postponed during the week because it is the only time, the night, when people can have their time, so they decide to sleep less, but enjoy watching a series or seeing friends?
— Rest is postponed because we always have something more important to do: sometimes it is simply watching a social network like Instagram until two in the morning, or getting hooked on a series and watching two or three episodes.
The dream is postponed because we are not aware of its importance.
Sleep is the best repair shop our body has.
We need time for the mechanics who are going to fix your liver, your pancreas, your brain, who are going to consolidate your memory;
have enough time to repair everything and fix it.
And the next day, well, you will feel much better, but this is something that is very difficult for us to understand.
I want to be optimistic, because I have realized that we talked years ago about the importance of physical exercise, of nutrition and every time we see more people who do physical activity, who go to the gym, who go running, for a walk, who take care of themselves. more food. I believe that with sleep we are also beginning to change our habits and value it a little more.
***
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