What causes insomnia? - Dan Kwartler

Translator: Polona Ramšak Reviewer: Nika Kotnik

What keeps you up at night?

Zaradi česa ponoči ne spite?

Pondering deep questions?

Razmišljate o globokih temah?

Excitement about a big trip?

Vznemirjeni zaradi pomembne poti?

Or is it stress about unfinished work,

Ali pa ste v stresu zaradi nedokončanega dela,

an upcoming test,

bližajočega se testa

or a dreaded family gathering?

ali družinskega srečanja, ki se ga bojite?

For many people, this stress is temporary, as its cause is quickly resolved.

Za mnogo ljudi je stres začasen, saj se vzrok zanj hitro razreši.

But what if the very thing keeping you awake was stress about losing sleep?

Kaj pa če vas ohranja budne prav stres, ker ne morete zaspati?

This seemingly unsolvable loop is at the heart of insomnia,

Ta navidezno nerešljiva zanka je srčika nespečnosti,

the world’s most common sleep disorder.

najbolj pogosta motnja spanja na svetu.

Almost anything can cause the occasional restless night -

Kar koli lahko povzroči občasno neprespano noč -

a snoring partner,

partner, ki smrči,

physical pain,

fizična bolečina

or emotional distress.

ali čustveni stres.

And extreme sleep deprivation like jetlag can throw off your biological clock,

Ekstremno pomanjkanje spanja, na primer zaradi poleta, vam lahko

wreaking havoc on your sleep schedule.

zmeša biološko uro in razdeja vaš urnik spanja.

But in most cases, sleep deprivation is short-term.

V večini primerov je pomanjkanje spanja kratkoročno.

Eventually, exhaustion catches up with all of us.

Nazadnje nas dohiti izčrpanost.

However, some long-term conditions like respiratory disorders,

Vendar pa lahko nekatere bolezni, na primer dihalne težave,

gastrointestinal problems,

gastrointestinalni problemi

and many others can overpower fatigue.

in mnoge druge, premagajo utrujenost.

And as sleepless nights pile up,

In ko se neprespane noči kopičijo,

the bedroom can start to carry associations of restless nights

spalnica počasi postane asociacija za nemirne,

wracked with anxiety.

razrvane noči.

Come bedtime, insomniacs are stressed.

Ko se bliža čas za spanje, so nespečniki pod pritiskom.

So stressed their brains hijack the stress response system,

Možgani se pod takim stresom polastijo sistema za odziv na stres

flooding the body with fight-flight-or-freeze chemicals.

in preplavijo telo s kemikalijami za beg ali boj.

Cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormones course through the bloodstream,

Kortizol in adrenokortikotropni hormoni se pretakajo po krvnem obtoku,

increasing heart rate and blood pressure,

zvišajo srčni utrip in krvni pritisk

and jolting the body into hyperarousal.

ter poženejo telo v stanje izjemnega razburjenja.

In this condition, the brain is hunting for potential threats,

V tem stanju možgani lovijo potencialne nevarnosti, zaradi česar

making it impossible to ignore any slight discomfort or nighttime noise.

je nemogoče ignorirati kakršno koli rahlo neudobje ali nočni zvok.

And when insomniacs finally do fall asleep,

In ko nespečnež končno le zaspi,

the quality of their rest is compromised.

je kvaliteta spanja kompromitirana.

Our brain’s primary source of energy is cerebral glucose,

Primarni vir energije naših možganov je cerebralna glukoza

and in healthy sleep, our metabolism slows to conserve this glucose for waking hours.

in med zdravim spanjem se naš metabolizem upočasni, da ohrani glukozo za budne ure.

But PET studies show the adrenaline that prevents sleep for insomniacs

A PET študije kažejo, da adrenalin, ki nespečnim preprečuje spati,

also speeds up their metabolisms.

prav tako pospešuje njihov metabolizem.

While they sleep, their bodies are working overtime,

Medtem ko spijo, njihova telesa delajo nadure in

burning through the brain’s supply of energy-giving glucose.

kurijo možgansko zalogo energijske glukoze.

This symptom of poor sleep leaves insomniacs

Ta simptom slabega spanja povzroči, da se nespečneži

waking in a state of exhaustion, confusion, and stress,

zbudijo izčrpani, zmedeni in v stresu,

which starts the process all over again.

kar proces ponovno začne od začetka.

When these cycles of stress and restlessness last several months,

Ko ti ciklusi stresa in nespečnosti trajajo nekaj mesecev,

they’re diagnosed as chronic insomnia.

se jih diagnosticira kot kronično nespečnost.

And while insomnia rarely leads to death,

Medtem ko nespečnost redko vodi v smrt,

its chemical mechanisms are similar to anxiety attacks

so njeni kemični mehanizmi podobni napadom panike,

found in those experiencing depression and anxiety.

ki jih občutijo tisti, ki se borijo z depresijo in anksioznostjo.

So suffering from any one of these conditions

Če trpimo za enim od teh problemov,

increases your risk of experiencing the other two.

imamo večjo možnost, da bomo občutili še druga dva.

Fortunately, there are ways to break the cycle of sleeplessness.

Na srečo obstajajo načini, kako presekati začarani krog nespečnosti.

Managing the stress that leads to hyperarousal

Nadzorovanje stresa, ki vodi v močno razburjenje,

is one of our best-understood treatments for insomnia,

je eden od naših najbolj razumljivih pristopov k zdravljenju nespečnosti

and good sleep practices can help rebuild your relationship with bedtime.

in trening dobrega spanja lahko pomaga popraviti naš odnos do spanja.

Make sure your bedroom is dark and comfortably cool

Zagotovite, da bo vaša spalnica temna in prijetno hladna,

to minimize “threats” during hyperarousal.

da zminimalizirate 'nevarnosti' med izjemnim razburjenjem.

Only use your bed for sleeping,

Posteljo uporabljajte le za spanje

and if you’re restless,

in če ste nemirni,

leave the room and tire yourself out with relaxing activities

zapustite sobo in se utrudite s sproščujočimi aktivnostmi,

like reading,

kot so branje,

meditating,

meditacija

or journaling.

ali pisanje dnevnika.

Regulate your metabolism by setting consistent resting and waking times

Regulirajte svoj metabolizem tako, da si nastavite stalen čas počitka

to help orient your body’s biological clock.

in bedenja, s čimer pomagate svoji biološki uri, da se orientira.

This clock, or circadian rhythm,

Ta ura ali cirkadiani ritem

is also sensitive to light,

je občutljiv tudi na svetlobo,

so avoid bright lights at night

zato se ponoči izogibajte močnim lučem,

to help tell your body that it’s time for sleep.

da boste pomagali povedati telesu, da je čas za spanje.

In addition to these practices,

Poleg tega nekateri zdravniki

some doctors prescribe medication to aid sleep,

predpisujejo zdravila, ki pomagajo zaspati,

but there aren’t reliable medications that help in all cases.

a nobeno zanesljivo zdravilo ne pomaga v vseh primerih.

And over-the-counter sleeping pills can be highly addictive,

Tablete za spanje v prosti prodaji lahko povzročajo močno odvisnost,

leading to withdrawal that worsens symptoms.

ki vodi v odtegnitev, ki še poslabša simptome

But before seeking any treatment,

Preden se odločite za zdravljenje,

make sure your sleeplessness is actually due to insomnia.

se prepričajte, da je vaša nespečnost dejansko insomnija.

Approximately 8% of patients diagnosed with chronic insomnia

Približno 8 % pacientov z diagnozo kronične nespečnosti

are actually suffering from a less common genetic problem

dejansko trpi za manj pogostim genetskim problemom,

called delayed sleep phase disorder, or DSPD.

ki se imenuje motnja faze spanja ali (z angleško kratico) DSPD.

People with DSPD have a circadian rhythm significantly longer than 24 hours,

Ljudje s to motnjo imajo cirkadiani ritem znatno daljši kot 24 ur,

putting their sleeping habits out of sync with traditional sleeping hours.

zato njihove spalne navade niso usklajene s tradicionalnimi urami za spanje.

So while they have difficulty falling asleep at a typical bedtime,

Ko tako težko zaspijo v tipičnem času za spanje,

it’s not due to increased stress.

za to ni kriv stres.

And given the opportunity,

Če imajo možnost,

they can sleep comfortably on their own delayed schedule.

lahko mirno spijo po svojem lastnem zamaknjenem urniku.

Our sleeping and waking cycle is a delicate balance,

Naš ciklus spanja in bedenja je delikatno ravnovesje,

and one that’s vital to maintain for our physical and mental wellbeing.

ki je nujno za ohranjanje našega fizičnega in mentalnega zdravja.

For all these reasons,

Zaradi tega

it’s worth putting in some time and effort

se je vredno potruditi

to sustain a stable bedtime routine,

za vzpostavitev stabilnega spalnega ritma,

but try not to lose any sleep over it.

a zaradi tega ne izgubljajte spanca.