What causes insomnia and how can it be overcome? How much sleep is needed at different stages of life? What lies behind the phenomenon of sleepwalking and why do we have prophetic dreams? Are there scientific justifications for believing in discoveries made during sleep, and does the mysterious state of lethargic sleep truly exist? The answers to these questions were found by Tengri Life's correspondent at the Sleep Medicine Center, through a conversation with its director, somnologist and psychotherapist Viktor Khan.
Causes of Insomnia: Hidden Enemies of Sleep
"It is important to understand that insomnia can be a symptom of various diseases or a separate nosological unit (a specific illness - ed.). More often, we encounter symptomatic insomnia, which arises against the backdrop of depression and anxiety disorders, or chronic non-organic insomnia, where the stress that disrupted sleep has already passed, yet insomnia remains," Viktor Khan explained.
The doctor emphasized that there can be hundreds of factors affecting sleep quality. Among them, we can distinguish predisposing factors for insomnia, such as a lack of sleep and wakefulness routines, mild psycho-emotional stress, and even a deficiency of vitamins and microelements. There are also provoking factors—typically acute stress, hypothyroidism, menopause, and other conditions. Finally, perpetuating factors, which hinder sleep recovery, become a significant topic in cases of chronic non-organic insomnia.
Sleepwalking: When the Mind Sleeps but the Body Doesn't
According to Viktor Khan, sleepwalking, or somnambulism, is quite common, especially among children.
"A child's nervous system is not fully developed, so the processes of inhibition and activation are not always synchronized. One part of the brain is asleep while another is active. Adults need not worry: this usually passes with time. The cause of sleepwalking in adults is most often psycho-emotional stress, and consulting a somnologist, psychotherapist, or psychologist can be helpful," the doctor emphasized.
Prophetic Dreams - Myth or Reality?
The somnologist is confident that prophetic dreams do exist.
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"We classify them into several types. The first type is coincidence dreams, where events in the dream randomly coincide with reality. The second type is deductive dreams: in this case, the person intuitively processes information received during wakefulness and forms an accurate assessment of upcoming events in their dreams. Finally, there are self-fulfilling dreams—when a person, having seen a dream, unconsciously begins to act according to its script, leading to the dream's events coming true," the doctor listed.
Can Discoveries Be Made in Sleep?
"I sincerely believe that it is possible to make a discovery in sleep," Viktor Khan replied.
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He explained that during dreaming, especially in the rapid eye movement phase, the areas of the brain responsible for cognitive control and rational thinking—the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—are suppressed. Meanwhile, the limbic system, which governs our emotions, motivations, irrational impulses, and fears, becomes active, and this expands our consciousness.
"Furthermore, it is during sleep that analysis, processing of accumulated information, and realization of subconscious models of expected events occurs. It's the perfect time to accomplish something that previously seemed impossible!" the specialist believes.
Sleep That Lasts an Eternity
Many have heard stories about the so-called lethargic sleep—a state where a person can supposedly remain motionless and minimally responsive to external stimuli without waking for several days, weeks, or even decades. But what does science say about this?
"Modern science denies the existence of lethargic sleep in the form understood by the average person. If we consider lethargic sleep as a state of reduced reaction to external stimuli, it can be compared to catatonia (a psychopathological disorder - ed.) or other similar states. However, such a phenomenon as lethargic sleep is clearly absent in the international classification of sleep disorders," the doctor noted.
Duration of Sleep: How Many Hours Are Needed at Different Ages
It was previously believed that the need for sleep decreases with age. However, modern studies in somnology show that after the age of 18, the need for sleep remains stable. It depends not so much on age as on the levels of physical and intellectual exertion.
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"Often we see that older adults have less deep and more fragmented sleep. But this is not due to a decreased need for sleep, but rather a reduction in physical activity. Conversely, children require more sleep due to the active development of their nervous systems. A child's brain processes a tremendous amount of new information: in the early years of life, it absorbs over 80 percent of all knowledge it will acquire throughout life. Additionally, the child's body needs growth hormone, which is actively produced during deep sleep," the doctor is convinced.
What to Do to Wake Up Happy and Ready for Action
10 Tips for Improving Sleep and Preventing Insomnia from a Somnologist
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- Leave your daytime worries behind with your clothes.
Often, anxiety and concerns prevent us from falling asleep.
- Avoid mental activity before bedtime.
Put off work tasks and avoid programs that stimulate the brain. Instead, read light literature.
- Limit gadget use in the evening.
The cold light from screens hampers the body's preparation for sleep by stimulating the production of daytime hormones. If it's difficult to give up gadgets, at least reduce the screen brightness or turn on "night mode."
- Don't overload your body with food after 6-7 PM.
A late dinner will cause the body to work at night, which won't lead to anything good.
However, there are a couple of points regarding this issue that have been previously described by a nutritionist. We recommend reading them.
- Go to bed at the same time each night.
By training yourself to a specific schedule, you can eliminate insomnia, as your body will "know" when it's time to sleep.
- Keep your bedroom cool.
The optimal temperature is around 20 degrees.
- Stop worrying about insomnia!
Lack of sleep drains energy, but worrying about it only exacerbates the situation. After all, it is not so much insomnia that exhausts the body, but the anxiety surrounding it. Worrying about "Will I sleep tonight?" and constantly checking the clock: "It's already 1 AM, and still no sleep!" can lead anyone to nervous exhaustion.
- Don't force yourself to sleep if you don't feel like it.
Yes, the feeling when the clock shows 2 AM and you don't feel sleepy at all doesn't add optimism, but going to bed when you don't feel tired is even worse. If you haven't fallen asleep within the first 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing.
- Take a walk before bed.
Fresh air fills the lungs, allowing active oxygen to penetrate the blood and nourish the brain. Sleep becomes deeper, more peaceful, and healthier.
- Daytime naps are the enemy of nighttime sleep.
If you have trouble falling asleep or often wake up in the middle of the night, then daytime naps are highly discouraged. Many mistakenly try to "make up for lost sleep" by napping during the day, especially older individuals. If daytime sleep exceeds one hour, nighttime insomnia is guaranteed in such cases. A brief period of relaxed wakefulness or a 30-minute nap before 3 PM is acceptable.
"Remember: good sleep is crucial for your health. To ensure that each day is safe and productive, take measures—try to get regular sleep. If you cannot improve your sleep despite following all recommendations, consult a specialist. Self-medicating and uncontrolled use of sleeping pills can have numerous negative consequences. Treating insomnia is much easier than addressing medication dependency," Viktor Khan is confident.</