One of life’s greatest pleasures is undoubtedly sleep. It is the moment when all our worries leave our mind and we can temporarily disconnect from our world. This process is necessary for many physiological functions such as development, cognition, performance, disease regulation and the modulation of immune responses, among many others. But… how do sleep disturbances affect our health?
Because of all the benefits mentioned above, we can state that sleep is a very important activity for our health. However, some people experience interruptions during rest, difficulty falling asleep, short sleep duration, or the feeling of being tired despite having slept enough hours. All these difficulties when resting generally affect both the duration and quality of sleep and can even lead to insomnia.
How important is it to take care of sleep duration and quality?
Sleep disturbances affect up to 25% of the current population, leading to changes in mood as well as irritability, fatigue, and problems with concentration and memory. Factors such as chronic stress, the natural light we are exposed to daily, interpersonal relationships, the consumption of substances such as alcohol or caffeine, and even medical conditions such as alterations in thyroid hormone secretion can affect both the duration and quality of sleep.
Often, people look for the cause of these sleep problems and suspect factors that are not always responsible. Genome studies have shown that there are certain genes capable of affecting this condition, meaning it is not always due to an external factor, as it may be intrinsic depending on genetics. There are genetic variants located in genes such as BTBD9 that can cause sleep disturbances, leading to conditions such as restless legs syndrome and even alterations in an individual’s circadian rhythms.
Many professionals treat this condition with tryptophan supplements (without checking blood levels of this amino acid), a molecule necessary for the production of melatonin, a key hormone in sleep regulation. However, the use and effectiveness of these supplements are still under debate. Therefore, it is more advisable to control the individual’s sleep hours (around 7 hours), factors that affect rest (light, noise), or habits that may be disrupting circadian rhythms.
It should be noted that the ideal approach in these cases would be to carry out an individual assessment in order to provide personalised recommendations for each case, rather than resorting to supplementation without clear justification, as its effectiveness is not well established and it also represents an additional economic cost.
This covers sleep quality and duration, but what about insomnia?
Insomnia is a disorder in which individuals report difficulty sleeping. It is present in approximately 6–10% of the population. This condition not only prevents adequate rest, but is also a risk factor for the development of emotional disturbances, anxiety and even substance abuse—factors that significantly affect public health. Insomnia can be caused by diseases, pharmacological factors, mental health conditions and even environmental causes.
Does genetics have anything to say about insomnia?
The answer is yes. According to scientific evidence, sleep disturbances and insomnia disorders have a very high heritability (up to 40%), highlighting the importance of genetics in this condition. However, these figures are not valid for all populations, as geographical or climatic conditions may also influence insomnia.
In addition to all these factors, diet is another aspect to consider. Nutrients such as omega-3, tryptophan and magnesium, among others, can influence sleep duration. Other diet-related factors, specifically obesity, can affect sleep quality and even lead to conditions such as sleep apnoea syndrome, characterised by interruptions in breathing during sleep, which can significantly impair rest.
How can we improve sleep?
Due to the great importance of good sleep and the high prevalence of sleep disturbances, the WHO developed a document (shown in the references) outlining a series of strategies based on cognitive-behavioural interventions, which have proven to be one of the most effective tools for addressing certain types of sleep disorders. These strategies focus on helping individuals become aware of inaccurate or negative thoughts, enabling them to better visualise difficult situations and respond more effectively.
In conclusion, we must be aware that these types of disturbances are quite common in the population and can therefore affect anyone. Fortunately, there are various strategies (depending on the type of disturbance) to improve this condition. However, before taking any measures, we should try to identify the underlying cause of the disturbance, get to know ourselves better, and then take the most appropriate steps to care for ourselves and address the sleep disorders that affect us.
References
- WHO. Insomnia, Behavioural and cognitive interventions. Geneva.
- Zhao M, Tuo H, Wang S, Zhao L. The Effects of Dietary Nutrition on Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Mediators Inflamm. 2020;2020:3142874. Published 2020 Jun 25. doi:10.1155/2020/3142874
- Ikonte CJ, Mun JG, Reider CA, Grant RW, Mitmesser SH. Micronutrient Inadequacy in Short Sleep: Analysis of the NHANES 2005–2016. Nutrients. 2019 Oct 1;11(10):2335. doi:10.3390/nu11102335
- Barclay NL, Kocevska D, Bramer WM, Van Someren EJW, Gehrman P. The heritability of insomnia: A meta-analysis of twin studies. Genes Brain Behav. 2021 Apr;20(4):e12717. doi:10.1111/gbb.12717
- Roth T. Insomnia: definition, prevalence, etiology, and consequences. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3(5 Suppl):S7–S10.
- Byrne EM, Gehrman PR, Medland SE, et al. A genome-wide association study of sleep habits and insomnia. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2013;162B(5):439–451. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.32168
- Zielinski MR, McKenna JT, McCarley RW. Functions and Mechanisms of Sleep. AIMS Neurosci. 2016;3(1):67–104. doi:10.3934/Neuroscience.2016.1.67
