At 10 p.m., Aunt Li was ready to go to bed as usual, but tonight was different. She lay on the bed tossing and turning, anxious and uneasy. Almost every night, she would have trouble sleeping due to anxiety and overthinking. Even after falling asleep, frequent nightmares and night awakenings filled her nights with exhaustion. When she woke up the next day, she felt even more exhausted. This has been going on for months, leaving her quality of life greatly reduced.
Aunt Lee's situation is not isolated. This is a condition known as neurasthenia, and it is affecting the sleep and quality of life of countless people. Neurasthenia, although it sounds old-fashioned, is actually a common mental health problem, especially in middle-aged and older adults. Let's dive into how neurasthenia affects sleep and how we can restore those restful nights through conditioning.
The battle between neurasthenia and sleep quality
The core symptom of neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is a psychological state triggered by overwork, stress, or emotional problems, with core symptoms including persistent fatigue, emotional lability, difficulty concentrating, and memory loss. These symptoms are often accompanied by sleep disturbances, such as difficulty falling asleep, sleep maintenance disorders (night awakenings), and unsatisfactory sleep.
Neurasthenia affects the physiological mechanisms of sleep
From a physiological point of view, neurasthenia affects sleep mainly through overexcitement of the nervous system and an imbalance in the endocrine system. Overexcitation of the nervous system prevents the brain from entering a state of deep relaxation, which is necessary to fall asleep. At the same time, chronic stress can lead to hormonal imbalances, such as abnormal cortisol levels, which not only affect the sleep cycle but can also lead to frequent awakenings during the night.
Neurasthenia affects the psychological mechanisms of sleep
Psychological factors also play an important role in sleep problems caused by neurasthenia. Anxiety, depression, and feelings of stress are common psychological symptoms of neurasthenia, and they can disrupt normal sleep patterns in a variety of ways. For example, anxiety and depression tend to cause people to experience excessive mental activity at night, making it difficult for people to relax and fall asleep.
Once the link between neurasthenia and sleep disturbance is understood, effective mitigation strategies can be explored. First, it's recommended to start by improving your lifestyle habits, such as setting regular sleep and wake times, reducing caffeine and sugar intake, and increasing daytime activity.
In addition, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be particularly effective in improving sleep disorders caused by neurasthenia, helping patients establish healthier sleep habits by modifying their thinking patterns and behavioral habits.
Neurasthenia is closely related to sleep problems, and understanding its influencing mechanisms and taking targeted measures to improve patients' quality of life is crucial.
Demystifying the night troubles of neurasthenia: common symptoms and diagnostic strategies
Neurasthenia is a common neurological disorder, especially in the context of chronic stress and irregular lifestyles. Patients often present with a variety of sleep disorder symptoms, such as difficulty falling asleep, shallow sleep, frequent night awakenings, and early awakenings. These symptoms not only reduce quality of life, but may also cause daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and mood swings.
The key to diagnosing neurasthenia is a detailed history and psychological evaluation. Doctors usually ask about sleep patterns, daytime activities, emotional states, and work and home environments. In addition, specialized psychological evaluation forms and sleep monitoring devices such as polysomnography can be used to further confirm the diagnosis.
Internal medicine expert's recipe: a good night's sleep, no longer a dream
For sleep problems caused by neurasthenia, internal medicine experts usually recommend lifestyle modification and psychotherapy to effectively improve sleep quality.
Lifestyle Modifications:
Routine: Make sure you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Avoid irritating substances: Caffeine and nicotine are known sleep disturbing factors and should be avoided completely after the evening.
Evening relaxation activities, such as yoga, soft music or a warm bath soak, can help relieve stress and prepare you for sleep.
Dietary Advice:
Adding tryptophan-rich foods such as milk and turkey meat, tryptophan helps increase melatonin production and improve sleep quality.
Avoid excessive and overly oily foods at dinner to reduce sleep disturbances from indigestion.
Reduce alcohol intake, and although alcohol may help you fall asleep, it can actually reduce the later stages of sleep, affecting sleep quality.
Psychotherapy:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This is an effective psychotherapy modality for insomnia, helping patients identify and change those negative thought patterns to improve sleep.
Relaxation techniques: These include deep breathing, meditation, and muscle relaxation exercises that can be done before bedtime to help reduce tension and anxiety and promote better sleep.
These integrative treatment strategies are not only scientific, but also practical, and can effectively help patients with neurasthenia improve their sleep and thus improve their quality of life.