High drowsiness lethargy retardation. Why you constantly want to sleep: from fatigue to diabetes

In modern medicine, the search continues for answers to questions about why some people used to sleep while sitting, and what benefits this could bring. A similar situation occurs today. Many adults and children note that in the prone position, their level of drowsiness begins to decrease, and they cannot fall asleep for a long time. However, as soon as they sit down, read a book or watch TV, they immediately fall into a sound sleep. Is it possible to relax in this way, or is sleeping in a sitting position unhealthy?

History reference

In the 19th century, seated sleep was quite common.

Historical sources say that in some European countries, including Russia, sleeping in a half-sitting position was quite common. At the same time, people use not ordinary armchairs or sofas, but shortened bedroom cabinets. Some of them have survived to this day. So, for example, in the Netherlands there is a closet in which Peter the Great rested at night, who had a dream while sitting in Europe.

The prevalence of nighttime sitting in the past is not indicative of its health benefits.

Why did people sleep sitting in the 16th-18th century? There are no reliable data explaining the reasons for this phenomenon. The most plausible hypothesis is associated with frequent feasts, when people ate fatty and protein-rich foods that take a long time to digest. In this situation, people felt better sitting than lying down. The second theory says that the main benefit of such a night's rest is just the preservation of fancy hairstyles for the fair sex.

Why do people prefer to sleep in a sitting position?

When a person chooses to sleep while sitting, the causes of this condition can be very different. Most often, the desire to sit at night is associated with psychological characteristics. So, for example, such deviations are very often observed in people who have traumatic memories from the past - they either got very scared in the past of something while lying in bed, or they have unpleasant associations with a similar situation. All this leads to the fact that when a child or an adult goes to bed, then he has a strong release of adrenaline, which does not allow him to fall asleep. When such a person moves into a chair, the feeling of discomfort passes, allowing you to sleep peacefully.

There are different reasons for sitting down to sleep.

Why can't a psychologically healthy person fall asleep? This can be caused by various diseases. Very often, people suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease, in which the contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus, prefer to sleep half-sitting. This posture prevents such casting and significantly reduces the level of discomfort. However, such a situation requires, first of all, the treatment of the underlying disease, and not just a change of place to sleep.

The second common medical problem that explains why people sleep and sleep while sitting is sleep apnea, which is periods of stopping breathing during sleep. A similar phenomenon is more common in the supine position, and is usually noticed by the husband or wife of the person who talks about the violations to the patient. As a result, the person becomes frightened and prefers not to fall asleep in bed anymore.

The situation in children is slightly different from adults. Why does a child prefer to sleep sitting up? Very often, babies take this position due to night terrors that disrupt the process of falling asleep in bed.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Sleep in a sitting position is also found in patients with cardiovascular diseases. In this case, such patients sleep, placing pillows under the lower back, unloading the heart.

If a person is in a horizontal position, then a large amount of blood flows to his heart through the venous vessels. This situation can cause discomfort, shortness of breath and respiratory problems in patients with heart failure of any severity. Therefore, such people receive certain benefits from the fact that they sleep half-sitting.

Possible harm

When a child or adult sleeps while sitting for a long period of time (more than one month), it can lead to certain consequences:

• an uncomfortable posture leads to squeezing of the spinal arteries that supply blood to the brain. This leads to his ischemia and disturbs the night's rest, causing drowsiness and a feeling of weakness after a night's rest;
• significant pressure on the vertebrae as a result of a long stay in an uncomfortable position can lead to changes in the spinal column and cause exacerbations of a number of diseases, including osteochondrosis;

Sleeping in an uncomfortable position threatens the development of diseases of the spine

• similar effects occurring in the elderly can cause ischemic stroke.

To restore the quality of a night's rest, it is necessary to contact doctors who are able to select recommendations and treatment for a person.

In this regard, many doctors talk about the dangers of sleeping in a sitting position, both for adults and for babies.

Doctors who insist that you should not sleep sitting up give the following recommendations to people with sleep disorders.

• If the problem is psychological in nature, then the person should contact a psychotherapist who can help in such a situation. Sleep training in a new position is also of some importance, for which there are a number of special techniques. You can get acquainted with them with your doctor or sleep doctor.

If the reason for sleeping in a sitting position is caused by psychological problems, then you need to seek help from a psychotherapist

• It is necessary to ventilate the room before going to bed, use a comfortable mattress, do not overeat in the evening and do not engage in activities that excite the central nervous system.
• In the presence of diseases that violate the process of falling asleep in the supine position, it is necessary to contact a medical institution for their treatment. Early detection of diseases allows you to quickly cure them, without the development of negative health consequences.

Sleep in a sitting position in a child or adult is associated with the psychological characteristics of a person or with certain diseases. Identifying the causes of this condition allows you to draw up a plan for the formation of the habit of sleeping lying down and pick up recommendations for organizing a night's rest.

The constant feeling of fatigue, fatigue, drowsiness in ladies can be considered a kind of sleep disorder. These sensations accompany the whole day, do not allow to work fully, think, interfere with making decisions. Maybe this is how a person pays for the modern way of life, forcing us to constantly keep our finger on the pulse. However, persistent fatigue and drowsiness in women is not only the result of overwork at work or at home, it can also be the result of health problems.

The causes of increased sleepiness from a medical point of view are varied.

In youth, we are cheerful and full of energy, we manage to do everything, we easily solve any problems and do not leave ourselves enough time to sleep. With age, a lot changes: work, family, children, everyday difficulties, lack of rest appear. More problems and tasks fall on the shoulders of a modern woman, with which she must successfully cope. Fatigue accumulates, and with it comes daily constant sleepiness and fatigue in women, but what are its causes?

Causes of sleepiness in women

There are a lot of reasons that cause a feeling of fatigue, hypersomnia. Perhaps that every somatic or mental pathology of a woman is the cause of severe weakness and drowsiness. Let's take a closer look at the most common of them.

Taking medications

Very often, women's experiences, doubts, fears and anxiety do not give any opportunity to relax and fall asleep, so many of the ladies are forced to take sedatives or hypnotics at night. Light sedatives (Persen, lemon balm) do not leave a trace in the morning and do not affect awakening, working capacity, muscle tone. The situation is different with tranquilizers, strong sleeping pills (Phenazepam, Donormil). Many of them have side effects in the form of severe weakness, drowsiness, apathy, fatigue, headache, loss of strength that haunt a woman all day and cause hypersomnia.

There are several groups of drugs, the side effect of which is increased drowsiness.

Some hormonal drugs, hypoglycemic agents (against diabetes mellitus), muscle relaxants (Sirdalud) also cause muscle hypotension and a desire to sleep. This is one of the reasons for the constant weakness and drowsiness in women.

lack of daylight

Surely we all noticed how easy it is to get up in the morning when spring or summer is outside the window. The sun shines brightly, the birds sing, the mood is excellent, the efficiency rolls over. This is directly related to low levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. The situation is reversed, when in winter at 7 am it is still quite dark and cold. No one wants to get out from under the covers, let alone get ready for work. Melatonin is elevated, and the body is confused why it needs to wake up if there is no light on the street. In schools, offices, this problem can be solved by using fluorescent lamps.

Anemia

Iron deficiency in the body can rightly be considered the most common cause of fatigue and drowsiness in women. This important trace element is involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, which, in turn, carries oxygen to the tissues. Lack of iron leads to a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood and as a result, a violation of oxidative processes, hypoxia occurs. The main symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are:

• drowsiness, weakness, fatigue;

Anemia may be one of the causes of fatigue in women

• dizziness, lowering blood pressure;
• heartbeat;
• hair loss, brittle nails;
• constipation, nausea.

It is quite easy to diagnose this pathology, it is enough just to pass a general blood test. A hemoglobin level below 115 g/l will indicate anemia. It will be much more difficult to establish its cause. In the fair sex, the factors leading to the occurrence of anemia are: heavy menstruation, premenopause, anorexia, vegetarianism, gastritis or stomach ulcers. Therapist or hematologist deals with the treatment of iron deficiency in the body. The doctor will prescribe the necessary additional examinations, and then a course of iron supplements.

Lowering blood pressure

What are the causes of nausea, weakness, dizziness, drowsiness in women? Hypotension is not uncommon in thin young girls. It is often caused by a genetically determined low vascular tone, due to which the pressure drops below normal (less than 110/70 millimeters of mercury). Hypotension is especially pronounced with a sharp rise. This condition is called orthostatic hypotension, when when moving from a sitting (or lying) position to a vertical position, the pressure drops sharply. An extreme manifestation of this pathology is fainting (collapse).

Hypotensive patients often complain of weakness and drowsiness.

Hypotension in women may well be a temporary phenomenon associated with pregnancy, menstruation, severe physical or mental fatigue, stress, neuroses. You can increase vascular tone by correcting your lifestyle: compliance with the regime of work and rest, contrast showers, adaptogens (eleutherococcus, ginseng, lemongrass), taking vitamins, fresh air, playing sports.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Snoring affects not only men, but also women. During the collapse of the airways in a dream, a complete cessation of breathing for a few seconds can occur - apnea. It is worth saying that there can be up to 400 such episodes! If snoring, accompanied by the appearance of apnea, worries a woman every night, then the cause of daytime lethargy and drowsiness does not need to be looked for for a long time, it is obvious.

The body suffers from chronic hypoxia, that is, it experiences a constant lack of oxygen, which is extremely harmful and dangerous for brain cells. All this leads to weakness, fatigue and a desire to rest during the day.

Thyroid disease

Decreased thyroid function (hypothyroidism) is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Drowsiness, severe muscle weakness, apathy, physical and emotional fatigue.
• Dry skin, swelling of the face, extremities.
• Violation of menstruation in women.
• Chilliness, chilliness, tendency to constipation.

Diabetes

Severe weakness in diabetes mellitus is observed with hypoglycemia

This is a common endocrine pathology in women, which manifests itself in a violation of the absorption of glucose by cells and tissues as a result of a lack of insulin (or a decrease in sensitivity to it). Controlled diabetes does not in itself cause drowsiness, but when blood sugar levels begin to drop, a life-threatening condition of hypoglycemia occurs.

Severe increasing drowsiness, nausea in a patient with diabetes mellitus can be a sign of a formidable complication - hypoglycemic coma!

Taking antidiabetic drugs, a woman needs to carefully monitor the level of blood glucose, regularly visit an endocrinologist, and undergo recommended examinations on time.

Narcolepsy

A rare condition of sudden falling asleep in an unusual place. It can occur against the background of cheerfulness, as well as complete well-being. It is characterized by the fact that a woman suddenly falls into a short sleep for a few minutes, and then wakes up just as quickly. It can happen anywhere: at the workplace in the office, in transport, on the street. Sometimes this pathology is preceded by catalepsy - paralysis of the limbs with severe weakness. The disease is very dangerous in terms of unforeseen injuries, but it can be successfully treated with psychotherapeutic drugs.

Narcolepsy is manifested by unforeseen sleep attacks.

Klein-Levin syndrome

An even rarer condition than narcolepsy. It is mainly found in adolescent boys under 19 years of age, but it is also possible in women. It is characterized by falling into a deep sleep for up to several days without any precursors. After waking up, a person feels cheerful, very hungry, excited. The cause of the disease has not yet been established, so there is no adequate treatment.

brain injury

They occur in women of any age after car accidents, falls, bumps, accidents at home. Depending on the severity of the injury, the duration of the acute period and treatment, constant daytime sleepiness, a feeling of severe fatigue after a short work, and emotional fatigue are possible.

mental illness

In psychiatric practice, there is a whole arsenal of deviations in health related to the emotional sphere of a woman. These include: depression, psychosis, neurotic disorders, manic syndrome, neurasthenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders and more. Almost all of them are accompanied by a change in behavior, sleep disturbance, weakness, lethargy. Treatment is handled by a psychotherapist, possibly with a neurologist.

Diagnosis of increased sleepiness in women

Finding the cause of such a common condition as severe weakness and drowsiness is quite difficult. They usually start with an appeal to a therapist or a neurologist. The doctor prescribes standard examinations to detect somatic pathology: a general blood and urine test, a biochemical blood test, an electrocardiogram. If you suspect the presence of endocrine or neurological pathology, a consultation with a narrow specialist is necessary.

In very rare cases, polysomnography is performed - the study of a woman's sleep indicators in a specialized center. If the structure of sleep is changed, then treatment is carried out by a somnologist.

Ways to deal with sleepiness

If no deviations in the state of health are found, the woman has neither somatic nor mental diseases, then the following measures to eliminate the causes of drowsiness and weakness can come to the rescue.

• It is necessary to adhere to the correct daily routine: go to bed and get up at the same time, do not stay up late at night at a computer or TV.
• Observe the regime of work and rest (take breaks during work to avoid severe overwork).
• Morning or evening jogging (walking) in the fresh air contributes to the addition of strength and energy.

Morning jogging provides the body with a charge of vivacity

• Some women may be fine with caffeinated drinks in the morning, but don't get too carried away with them.
• Eliminate alcohol, nicotine, carbohydrates.

You also need a course of vitamins for women, which help well with fatigue and drowsiness. Adaptogens (schisandra, ginseng) do an excellent job with low vascular tone.

There are a lot of conditions that lead to drowsiness. Listen to your body, pay more attention to how you feel, do not ignore important signals, consult a doctor in time, then weakness, drowsiness will not become your constant companions.

A fast-paced lifestyle, hard work, stress, overwork adversely affect human health. As a result, weakness and drowsiness appear. Thus, adults adapt to the transferred moral and physical stress. The brain needs rest and "reboot". Doctors point to a variety of causes of weakness and drowsiness, ranging from banal overexertion to serious diseases. It is possible to alleviate the general condition of a person with the help of medicines, reflexology and other effective procedures.

Symptoms accompanying weakness and drowsiness

General weakness can be caused by various conditions, respectively, and complaints in adults can be different. Loss of strength, weakness and drowsiness are accompanied by the following symptoms:

• malaise when performing daily work;
• fast and frequent fatigue, lethargy;
• lethargy, fainting in case of a sharp drop in pressure, a change in body position;
• intolerance to loud speech, strong smell;
• irritability, sleep disturbance, nightmares, irascibility.

The causes of weakness and drowsiness can be various diseases, if a person makes the following complaints:

• headache, runny nose, sore throat;
• cough, aching muscles and bones, joint pain;
• constant thirst, weight loss, tinnitus and head noise;
• shortness of breath while walking, increased body temperature;
• redness of the eyes, pressure surges, abdominal pain, nausea.

The appearance of at least three symptoms at the same time indicates that a person is suffering from a certain disease. To establish an accurate diagnosis, you should consult a doctor.

Anemia and weakness

Anemia is a blood disease characterized by low levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells. The first symptom to be noticed is pale skin and extreme fatigue. In addition to these complaints, patients may indicate the following:

• headache, lethargy;
• fast and prolonged fatigue;
• palpitations, shortness of breath, rapid fatigue and fainting during physical exertion;
• seizures on the lips, distortion of taste, fragility of nails and hair increases.

Important! In anemia, hemoglobin values ​​are below 110 g/l

Most of the complaints in anemia appear due to hypoxia (decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood), as a result of which the tissues do not receive the necessary amount of O2 (oxygen).

The following diseases are accompanied by anemia:

• posthemorrhagic (after blood loss) anemia;
• ring cell anemia;
• Iron-deficiency anemia;
• B12 deficiency anemia, leukemia;
• oncology of any localization;
• condition after abdominal operations;
• helminthic invasions;
• malnutrition - limited intake of iron.

Adults with anemia should be careful, as the disease manifests itself at very low levels of hemoglobin. The first manifestation of the disease may be fainting and loss of consciousness at work. Therefore, as soon as pallor of the skin and constant weakness and drowsiness appear, it is necessary to visit a doctor.

Low blood pressure and drowsiness

Jumps in blood pressure can occur in both adults and young people. All this is connected with the instability of the nervous system, and in the older generation - with atherosclerosis of the vessels.

Symptoms of low blood pressure, in addition to severe drowsiness, are:

• severe pain in the back of the head, which gradually spreads to the entire head;
• spinning in the head with a sharp change in body position;
• severe drowsiness, especially in the afternoon;
• pain in the neck, lethargy and impotence, weakness in the muscles of the arms and legs.

Doctor's advice. If you are worried about severe fatigue, you should immediately measure blood pressure using a tonometer

Low blood pressure may accompany the following conditions:

• orthostatic collapse, when a drop in pressure occurs after a sharp change in body position;
• overdose of antihypertensive drugs, bleeding;
• osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
• peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum), vegetovascular dystonia (VSD);
• scalene muscle syndrome, when the muscle complex in the neck compresses the vertebral arteries;
• heart failure.

Low blood pressure very often appears in people younger than 20-22 years old. The indicators in this case are kept at the level of 90/60 mm Hg. Art.

Hypothyroidism causes general weakness

The thyroid gland plays one of the main roles in maintaining body homeostasis. The disease of this important organ occurs as a result of autoimmune processes, virus damage, oncological pathology, iodine deficiency in food, and stressful situations.

Hypothyroidism is an insufficiency of the thyroid gland, characterized by low levels of thyroid hormones in the blood. Patients indicate the following signs of hypothyroidism:

• constantly want to rest and sleep;
• weakness and severe drowsiness, apathy;
• memory impairment;
• lack of familiar emotions - joy, anger, surprise;
• a person ceases to be interested in the outside world;
• asthenia, or impotence to do anything;
• low blood pressure, heart pain, obesity;
• swelling in the legs, hair loss and dry skin.

Important! If the hair on the head falls out for no reason, you need to take a blood test for thyroid hormones.

A reduced amount of thyroid hormones is observed in such conditions:

• after thyroid surgery, autoimmune thyroiditis;
• diffuse toxic goiter, thyroid cancer.

Thyroid hormones affect the heart, nervous system, and digestive tract. Patients with hypothyroidism suffer from hypersomnia, they want to sleep all day, it is very difficult to force themselves to work.

Weakness and drowsiness in diabetes

Diabetes mellitus mainly affects older people, when there is a lack of insulin production in the body. This hormone is synthesized by the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes, there is no insulin in the body.

Important! The normal blood sugar level is 3.3-5.5 mmol/l. In diabetes mellitus, indicators can rise to 10-15 mmol / l and above

The symptoms of diabetes are as follows:

• dry mouth;
• with a low blood sugar level, patients note rapid fatigue, lethargy, pre-syncope;
• drowsiness, fatigue, overwork;
• numbness of the limbs, blurred vision;
• frequent urination - up to 5-7 liters per day, constant thirst.

Diabetes can be accompanied by a sharp drop or rise in blood glucose levels. A person who does not know about his disease cannot understand why thirst, fatigue and drowsiness torment him all the time. These are signs of hyperglycemia.

With hypoglycemia, when blood glucose is below 3.3 mmol / l, patients complain of sudden general weakness, fatigue, increased sweating, trembling in the hands, tingling in the muscles. If you do not help a person, he faints and a coma may occur.

Other causes of weakness and drowsiness

Often the causes of drowsiness, weakness or overwork are infectious diseases. Sometimes symptoms appear due to malnutrition.

Doctors point to the following conditions, because of which you always want to sleep (described below).

1. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The disease occurs in people who live in big cities, prone to stress and overwork. A distinctive feature of the disease is the lack of relief even after a long rest.
2. Hypovitaminosis. Inadequate nutrition, a small amount of vitamins in the diet affects the functioning of the nervous system. At the same time, adults complain of moderate weakness, instability to overvoltage, and rapid fatigue.
3. Magnetic storms affect blood pressure. At the same time, I really want to sleep all the time, my head hurts, adults feel general impotence.
4. Stress can overtake a person after a long and hard working day, strong feelings. In this case, adults will want to sleep, feel headaches. For some time, a person will not be able to get rid of insomnia.

Important! Sound sleep is the key to health. This rule is applicable to combat stress and overwork.

Stressful conditions should not be treated casually, because this can lead to serious neurological problems. For example, a nervous breakdown often ends in depression and neurosis.

How to deal with weakness and drowsiness

First of all, in order to get rid of general weakness, you should change your lifestyle. A person must clearly answer the question: “Do I want to improve my health”? For this you need:

1. Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
2. The diet should be saturated with vitamins, consist of fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. The last meal should be 2-3 hours before bedtime.
4. Take a contrast shower in the morning and evening. First, wash your face with very warm water for 10 minutes, then with cold water for 30 seconds.
5. When working at a computer, you need to rest for 5 minutes, look out the window and into the distance for 2-3 minutes. This relaxes the eyes and restores vision. Do procedures 4-5 times a day.
6. Every morning you need to force yourself to do light gymnastics. They begin with moderate circular movements of the head, then intensively raise straightened arms up and down along the body. Then they bend the torso back and forth, and finish with 15-20 squats. Each procedure lasts 2-3 minutes.

The doctor will accurately indicate exactly how to get rid of lethargy and fatigue. You can apply the following medicines:

Doctor's advice. Taking pills for diabetes and hypothyroidism should be carried out only after consulting a doctor

Only a doctor can tell an adult what to do with fatigue and drowsiness and what drugs to use.

The state of drowsiness is familiar to everyone. It is characterized by a whole complex of unpleasant sensations: a person becomes lethargic, feels a strong desire to lie down, his reactions slow down, apathy appears. This can be observed at any time of the day, including at the moment when everyday activities await us. People who constantly suffer from drowsiness become irritable and non-contact, their physical and intellectual activity decreases.

In such a situation, malaise cannot be ignored - it is necessary to find out its cause and determine ways to solve the problem. Today we will acquaint readers with the most common factors that cause drowsiness.

Source: depositphotos.com

Fatigue

Sleepiness caused by fatigue occurs in the late afternoon, after a strenuous day's activities. This is a normal condition that goes away after a night's sleep.

In order to get enough sleep, you need to follow a few rules:

• the room for night rest should be well ventilated;
• in the bedroom you can not turn on bright lights, leave the TV or computer monitor on;
• the room should be quiet;
• bed linen, sleepwear (nightgown, pajamas) and all textile accessories in the bedroom should be made of soft natural fabrics;
• a sofa or bed (mattress) intended for night rest must be chosen in accordance with the anatomical features of the body of the person who will use them;
• It is important to go to bed no later than midnight. The duration of a night's rest, which ensures the restoration of physical and mental activity, for most people is 7-8 hours.

Stress

Some people develop sleep disturbances due to stress: at night a person suffers from insomnia, and during the day he is overcome by drowsiness. Insomnia due to stress may require the help of a psychotherapist and the use of sedative drugs. Of course, the type of medication and the mode of administration should be determined by the doctor. Self-medication in such a situation is fraught with aggravation of the problem and other serious complications.

Fatigue and stress eventually lead to asthenia - persistent overwork and impaired brain function. In order to prevent damage to brain cells - neurons, neuroprotective drugs are used for prophylactic purposes - medicinal substances that protect brain cells from damaging effects, prevent their death, and even improve the functioning of brain cells. Prophylactic use of neuroprotectors is a way to prevent the negative impact of fatigue and stress on a person's mental abilities.

Recognan can be considered the most physiological of neuroprotectors. containing citicoline, which is the precursor of the main component of cell membranes. The drug is included in the list of Vital and Essential Drugs, is included in the federal standards for specialized medical care and is used not only as a treatment for various diseases and conditions, but also as a drug that improves mental and cognitive functions.

Disease

The cause of drowsiness is often a pathological process in the body. Fatigue and lethargy during the day cause the following diseases:

• diabetes;
• dysfunction of the endocrine glands. Drowsiness is especially characteristic in case of malfunctions of the endocrine system, accompanied by obesity (Pickwick's syndrome);
• heart disease;
• instability of blood pressure (drowsiness can be a sign of both hypertension and hypotension);
• Iron-deficiency anemia;
• liver pathology;
• violations of the kidneys;
• problems with the stomach and intestines;
• inflammatory processes;
• viral infections;
• development of malignant neoplasms;
• neurosis and depression.

Drowsiness almost always occurs with traumatic brain injuries and poisoning. Situations characterized by increasing hypoxia of the brain are especially dangerous: in these cases, drowsiness is a sign of the development of a coma.

Taking medications

Drowsiness may be due to medication:

• tranquilizers and neuroleptics;
• antihistamines;
• some antitussive drugs;
• analgesics;
• reducing blood pressure;
• used to treat heart disease;
• used in the treatment of gastric ulcer;
• antibiotics;
• hormonal contraceptives.

The intensity of side effects of this kind is very individual: in some patients, drowsiness almost does not appear when taking medications, while others constantly complain of lethargy and loss of strength.

Immobility

People who are forced to constantly sit while working often experience a feeling of sleepiness during the day. This can be explained by stagnation: in the absence of physical activity, blood flow in the vessels slows down, the brain begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients.

The way to solve the problem in this case is obvious: it is necessary to do a warm-up from time to time. You need to leave the workplace at least once within an hour, walk, do exercises for the arms, neck and legs. Usually a few movements are enough for drowsiness to disappear and lethargy to be replaced by cheerfulness.

It is important for office workers to make up for the lack of movement by playing sports in their free time. In this sense, cycling, running or brisk walking, swimming are the best choices. In winter, ski trips and family games in the fresh air are useful.

Avitaminosis

Vitamin deficiency is bad for overall well-being. Among other symptoms, it can also cause daytime sleepiness. Most often, this is a deficiency of vitamins C, E, B6 and B12. As a rule, discomfort occurs in the autumn-winter period, when the amount of vegetables and fruits consumed decreases.

If there are no problems associated with the absorption of vitamins, then pharmacy preparations are not required. Seasonal vitamin deficiency is easy to correct by adding seafood, liver, nuts and legumes to the daily diet, as well as increasing the proportion of fruits and berries rich in vitamin C: blackcurrant, citrus fruits, kiwi, rose hips, etc.

Failure of biorhythms

Daytime sleepiness can be caused by disruptions in the rhythm of life due to production needs. Often this happens with people who are forced to periodically work in the evening and night shifts. A similar condition occurs when a person moves to a different time zone or to an area with unusual climatic conditions. A healthy body quickly rebuilds and unpleasant sensations disappear by themselves. But in the presence of diseases, the process can take quite a long time. In some cases, it is not possible to adapt to change at all, and people have to return to their familiar environment, refusing to implement their plans.

Some people face such an interesting and unpleasant problem when they cannot fall asleep lying down. They spin, turn, change position, wait for sleep, but it does not come. But one has only to sit in an armchair in front of the TV or with a book, as soon as a comfortable nap appears and the person falls asleep. True, this dream also does not differ in special depth due to an uncomfortable position, and the sleeper can wake up from any sound, noise or awkward movement. But still, such a dream fills all the necessary physiological needs of the body.

I can’t sleep lying down - the husband justifies himself to his wife. But even after sleeping while sitting, although he will function more easily and stably than after a completely sleepless night, he will still feel a feeling of weakness, some drowsiness, and possibly a headache. But even in this state, the next night, a person cannot fall asleep again in bed, but only while sitting. What is this condition and how to solve this problem in order to improve the quality of life?

There can be many reasons for this condition. The most common psychological root of the problem. If a person has some kind of unpleasant association of falling asleep lying down or he experienced a strong fright while falling asleep in bed, then in this position he begins to experience stress, adrenaline is released into the blood and he cannot fall asleep. When moving to a more protected place for him - a chair, the body relaxes and, despite the not always comfortable position of the body, under the influence of the desire for sleep, instantly falls asleep and sleeps as much as possible.

There are 2 possible ways to solve the problem:

• contact a psychotherapist and take a course, for example, auto-training or hypnosis;
• retrain to fall asleep in a horizontal position. You can retrain with the help of sleeping pills, or contact a somnologist and get a referral for procedures such as therapeutic sleep.

Also in the bedroom you need to create all the conditions for sleep: buy a comfortable orthopedic mattress, exclude all sound and light stimuli, use audio recordings with the murmur of water. You can put a real indoor waterfall in the bedroom, which will also humidify the air, which is very useful during the heating season.

Another reason for the inability to fall asleep lying down may be certain medical problems.. For example, a person has gastroesophageal reflux, when, in a supine position, gastric contents are thrown back into the esophagus. From unpleasant sensations, he wakes up or cannot fall asleep. This is a short-term phenomenon that needs treatment of the underlying disease.

There may be another reason, more typical for overweight people - sleep apnea or holding your breath during sleep. Sleep apnea at night happens more often when a person is lying on their back. If the patient is very impressionable, under the influence of stress, he may become afraid to fall asleep lying down. In this case, an integrated approach to solving the problem is needed:

• You need to go on a diet to lower your body mass index and achieve a reduction in the frequency of sleep apnea attacks. You can use intraoral devices to normalize sleep: mouthpieces or mouthguards to make breathing easier. You also need to contact a somnologist to find out if there is another reason for the occurrence of apnea - a curvature of the nasal passages or swollen tonsils.
• Sleeping pills should not be used for apnea, as they cause relaxation of the muscles of the pharynx, which will only increase the number of seizures;
• It is necessary to solve the psychological problem of fear of falling asleep lying down, take a course of auto-training, etc.

Cardiovascular diseases

Often they sleep in a half-sitting position - though not in a chair, but using a lot of pillows under the lower back, patients with cardiovascular diseases. Our body is a smart and harmonious system. He himself tells the person what position to take in order to alleviate physical discomfort.

When a person takes a horizontal position, the flow of venous blood to the heart increases. The heart, if there is heart failure, cannot cope with the abundant blood flow. In the lungs, it stagnates, shortness of breath and shortness of breath begin, which are easier to bear in an upright position. Therefore, a person instinctively takes a position that makes it easier for him to fall asleep and sleep, in this case - semi-vertical. As the disease progresses, the patient needs more and more pillows.

Excursion into history

It must be said that in the Middle Ages in Europe, and in Russia, a semi-sitting sleep was adopted. True, they slept like that not in armchairs, but in special shortened sleeping cupboards. In Holland, the bedroom wardrobe of Peter the Great, who brought such a habit to Europe, has been preserved. Such cabinets have been preserved in museums and castles in Romania, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, France, Dover Castle and Frederiksborg Castle. In the residence of Count Sheremetyev near Moscow - in Kuskovo, you can see shortened beds.

There are few reliable explanations for these phenomena. The most probable of them is that feasts and dinners in the 17-18 centuries lasted a very long time, were accompanied by plentiful fatty foods and alcoholic libations, and protein foods are digested for a very long time. Therefore, it was very difficult for the body to fall asleep after a plentiful feast lying down, which is why people used such short beds. For hypertensive patients, half-sitting sleep was clearly more gentle. However, the court ladies of Europe and Japan slept half-sitting in order to maintain intricate hairstyles.

Why is it not good to sleep sitting up?

When a person spends a large amount of time in an anatomically unintended sleeping position, this is harmful and the following complications may occur:

• squeezing the vertebral arteries in an uncomfortable position can cause oxygen starvation of the brain, due to which a person upon waking up will be lethargic, broken and inefficient;
• compression of the vertebrae - the vertebrae will experience stress, which can lead to joint diseases. An inconveniently turned head will lead to cervical osteochondrosis;
• both of the above factors can cause a stroke.

Therefore, if at some point in your life you realize that you can only fall asleep in a sitting position and the chair has become a bed for sleeping, this is enough reason to see a doctor to find the root of the problem and solve it as quickly as possible.

List of used literature:

• Elena A. Lyashenko, Michael G. Poluektov, Oleg S. Levin and Polina V. Pchelina Age-related Sleep Changes and its Implication in Neurodegenerative Diseases Current Aging Science, 2016, 9, pp 26-33 /li>
• Ivan N. Pigarev and Marina L. Pigareva The state of sleep and the current brain paradigm Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, October 2015, Volume 9, Article 139
• Ivan N. Pigarev and Marina L. Pigareva Partial sleep in the context of augmentation of brain function
  Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, published: May 2014, Volume 8, Article 75