According to the study How do young people sleep? Habits and prevalence of sleep disorders in Spain, by the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), the Spanish Society of Sleep (SES), and the MAPFRE Foundation, 83.5% of young people participating in a survey on sleep habits experience symptoms of insomnia, and 61% sacrifice sleep hours to prioritize other activities. Additionally, 33% of them admit to not getting enough sleep, as recommended by experts (less than 7 hours).
Marta Rubio, lead researcher and neurologist at the Sabadell Hospital (Barcelona), reveals that this lack of rest hours affects young people due to “being in a vulnerable period of brain development and maturation,” and older individuals are at “greater risk of suffering from cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases.”
Those who do not have restful sleep should consult with a specialist. Luckily, the vast majority of cases improve with a correct diagnosis”
The Spanish Sleep Society specifies that there are more than 4 million Spaniards suffering from some type of chronic and severe sleep disorder, and less than a third of those affected seek professional help.
Javier, a 38-year-old teacher, is one of those people who, at the request of a family member, wanted to seek a medical evaluation because for months he has been getting up exhausted in the mornings and only looks forward to the night to go to bed. He requested to have some blood tests done and the results were normal. He was advised to exercise more and improve his diet because he admits to eating “little and poorly”.
“There have been no changes in my life. I have been working the same job for several years. I go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time, and the stress is what anyone with children and work responsibilities can experience,” he shares.
The care of physical and mental health
Waking up to an alarm is a symptom of not getting enough hours of sleep
We need to sleep the hours that allow one to wake up without an alarm
Doctor Javier Albares, a specialist in clinical neurophysiology and sleep medicine, and director of the Sleep Unit at the Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona, explains that sleep deprivation is related to the number of hours a person sleeps when they are not sufficient. This has repercussions during the day: on their mood, cognitive performance, energy levels, and other consequences that may appear over time.
“Those who do not sleep enough hours, strange as it may seem, are those who wake up with an alarm clock. If we wake up to an alarm, we are not allowing our body to sleep the hours it needs physiologically and biologically that night,” explains the expert.
It also states that we need to sleep the number of hours that allow us to wake up without an alarm clock. On average, adults usually need about 8 hours, although it depends on each individual, the day in question, and what each person has done.
Many studies indicate that the population in the Western world is sleeping fewer hours. The doctor asserts that we sleep one hour less than we did 50 years ago in the developed world and is adamant in stating that it represents a significant public health problem. “This situation is related to the fast pace we lead, multitasking, or the chronic stress that we have normalized. Many times, we prefer to cut back on sleep to engage in other work, entertainment, family activities,” he explains.
One of the main “thieves of sleep” is screens, as they steal many hours from all of us throughout the day, even before bedtime.
Lack of sleep is not a minor problem
Between 20 and 48% of the population has trouble sleeping, according to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology
For those who do not have restful sleep, it is recommended to follow sleep hygiene guidelines. This includes: aiming to have a calm, balanced day with physical activity, being emotionally flexible and stable, living in acceptance, avoiding excess stimulants, maintaining a healthy diet, connecting with nature, essentially adopting healthy lifestyle habits. All of this, as confirmed, can help 30% of insomniac patients sleep better. “Others may need psychological therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, the use of dietary supplements such as melatonin or other herbal remedies, or, in some cases, medication.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 80 sleep disorders. In addition to insomnia, the most common ones are snoring and sleep apnea. “Anyone who does not have restful sleep should consult a specialist. Fortunately, the vast majority of cases improve with a proper diagnosis,” they indicate.
Some of the numerous health problems stemming from lack of sleep, according to David Ezpeleta, a neurologist and vice president of the Spanish Neurology Society (SEN), include: daytime drowsiness and fatigue, with studies indicating a relationship with anxiety and increased likelihood of depression; decreased work performance; obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and associated brain and cardiovascular diseases; immune system disruptions, leading to a higher susceptibility to infections; increased risk of cancer, dementia, and reduced life expectancy.
Specify that by “sleeping little” it should be understood as both a reduction in the necessary hours of sleep and poor quality of sleep time, either due to a disruption in its continuity or depth, which can be influenced by various causes.
Fatigue and tiredness also depend on other factors. For example, people with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can sleep long hours straight, but the next day they may feel tired and, above all, sleepy. People with fibromyalgia can also sleep without interruptions for the right amount of hours, but wake up with body pain and a deep sense of fatigue," explains the professional.
Go see a professional
One of the problems with insomnia is thinking that restoring sleep will be impossible
The vice president of the SEN recommends that anyone who wants to know if they lack sleep hours should seek a professional to create a sleep medical history, including daytime habits (hearty dinners, alcohol consumption, exercising before bedtime, using screens in bed...), time they go to bed and turn off the lights, symptoms suggesting restless leg syndrome, nocturnal awakenings, how they feel when waking up in the morning, daytime symptoms (sleepiness, fatigue, irritability...). He states that in most cases, if the above is done correctly, a reasonably accurate diagnosis can be reached.
Two tests such as polysomnography (to diagnose sleep disorders and evaluate the sleep cycle) and actigraphy (to estimate the duration of rest and patterns) are reserved for those individuals in whom a disorder is suspected that can only be diagnosed or evaluated through these methods.
Medicating as a last resort
“The rest is a physiological function like breathing or eating, and if there is a lack of good sleep or rest, one must think about recovering, repairing, and maintaining the structures that perform it, rather than normalizing or trivializing it,” emphasizes Rosendo Bugarín, a family doctor at the Monforte de Lemos Health Center (Lugo). Initially, he states that prescribing medication would be the last resort; he would first try to address the issue through appropriate lifestyle changes. According to the 2021 report from the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Spain is the country that consumes the most benzodiazepines in the world. “Taking hypnotic drugs leads to most of them developing dependency, making it very difficult to withdraw from them. If tolerance develops, it is likely that doses will need to be increased over time. On the other hand, they are effective for people with difficulty falling asleep but not so much for early awakenings. They lead to a 'hangover' effect in the mornings, cause drowsiness, reduce performance (both physical and intellectual), impair memory, increase the risk of traffic accidents, falls...” he explains. In addition to all the mentioned issues, Dr. Bugarín points out that sleeping poorly and resting inadequately for a long time can lead to premature aging, increased morbidity, and mortality.