Sleep is the relaxation provided by nature to all living beings. It not only provides mental and physical rest but also aids in recuperation of the wear and tear suffered by internal parts of the body. Sleeping time in human beings is variable depending on one’s conditioning, amount of physical and mental work done and intake of any intoxicants.

Some people are unable to sleep, a condition known as insomnia. People suffering from some physical disorder like body pain, asthma, e.t.c are not able to sleep because of the pain or distress.

Insomnia of short duration may be due to travelling or change in place of rest. Persistent insomnia may be due to anxiety. Substances like coffee or tea when taken during the night also disturb in acquiring sleep.

People suffering from depression often get sleep in the scheduled time but then sleep is interrupted around midnight and they are not able to sleep after that. 80% cases of other psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, e.t.c. are also not able to sleep.

Long term deprivation of adequate sleep leads to physical and mental fatigue, irritability and also memory disturbances. If there is a known cause for insomnia, like some physical disease, it should be treated.

Persons suffering from stress related anxiety and insomnia need to be counseled adequately. They should remember that no problem can be solved by losing one’s sleep over it. 

Before sleeping one should make oneself clean by changing clothes, washing hands and feet, and brushing their teeth. The bedroom should also be clean and tranquil.

Tea and coffee should be avoided at night. Try going to bed at the same time every night, so that the body gets conditioned to sleep at that time. 

If in spite of the above measures one does not get good sleep, he or she should try to read something positive and interesting. Reading is a very good light mental exercise which induces sleep.

One should not form the habit of taking sedative drugs like diazepam and promethazine for inducing sleep. These drugs cause habituation and addiction.

After some time, one may need progressively higher doses to sleep and as the body gets addicted, one may find it difficult to sleep without it. Large doses of these drugs can cause respiratory depression and dyskinesias (abnormal tone and posture) of limbs. 

In contrast to insomnia or lack of sleep, some individuals get lot of sleep or hypersomnia. Taking heavy meals, large amounts of alcohol, working in hot environment, obesity, snoring during night, e.t.c. are natural situations producing excess sleep and particularly day time sleep.

Acute or chronic illnesses also tend to disturb the sleep – wake cycle of an individual, causing insomnia in the night and excess sleeping in day. Teenagers and adolescents tend to get excess sleep naturally. 

In all these situations an individual can keep himself alert for more time and not succumb to sleep by self discipline.  One should also try to keep himself occupied during day so that mind remains busy and desire to sleep will reduce. After some days, the urge to sleep at odd times will disappear.

Narcolepsy is a condition, whereas an individual gets excessive short bouts of sleep. The episodes of sleep are unavoidable inappropriate making a person to sleep at work or in school.

In cataplexy, in addition to sleeping untimely, one gets sudden paralysis of limbs which is transient and recovers. Narcolepsy is a rare condition affecting about one person in 2000. But when it occurs it becomes very embarrassing for the sufferer.

It is genetic in many cases and is said to occur because of abnormality in neurochemical transmitters. Drugs like amphetamine, modinafil are available to treat narcolepsy. One can control this condition very well without taking drugs.

Sleep can be conditioned by taking short naps of 10 to 15 minutes, at fixed time daily. As the body gets conditioned, inappropriate sleep will change to a regular sleep pattern in the day time also.

The author is a specialist in Internal Medicine
E-mail – rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk