[Vinmec - Q&A with experts] Number 01: The topic of insomnia (Part 4)

Insomnia is an obsession of many people. When we have insomnia, have trouble sleeping, our sleep is not guaranteed, which means dysfunction of the organs in the body. Below are questions related to insomnia answered by specialist doctors at Vinmec International General Hospital.

The questions were consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long - Psychological Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

Question 24: Ngo Ngoc Mai friend (Email address: Maingoc12...@gmail.com ) Hello doctor. For the past year and a half, I have been suffering from chronic insomnia. At first, I only slept 2-3 hours each night, but after that, I was almost awake. During the day I am very tired, difficult to concentrate, dark circles under my eyes. From the day I lost sleep, I lost weight quickly, my memory decreased significantly, I forgot what I had just done. In addition, I am very emotional, sad and happy for no reason. Is my insomnia leading to depression?
Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long (Psychiatric Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital): Hello! Sleep is extremely important. Good sleep consists of two factors, sleep time and sleep quality. Mental health issues, including depression, can be to blame.
Insomnia leads to depression because disrupted sleep can affect the levels of neurotransmitters, the brain will release stress hormones. That shows that disrupted sleep can wreak havoc on the brain, affecting the ability to think, regulate emotions and possibly cause psychological problems.
Insomnia leading to depression has the following signs: Difficulty falling asleep, tossing and turning, restless in sleep, insufficient sleep time, fatigue, sluggishness, mental depression. In addition, insomnia leading to depression is also accompanied by a number of other symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nervousness, constipation, stomach pain,...
You need to see a specialist doctor to be examined for treatment. treat. After the doctor started treating the cause of the depression, the insomnia problem was also quickly under control.
To prevent insomnia leading to depression, it is necessary to ensure the quality of spiritual life, avoid the causes of insomnia, and limit the anxiety, stress, and daily stress that cause psychological trauma. Avoid abuse of stimulants, causing many risks to both physical and mental health. Follow a healthy lifestyle, have a diet that ensures adequate nutrition, reasonable rest.
25: Friend Hoang Minh Tuan (25 years old, Dong Da, Hanoi): Hello doctors. My mother is now 60 years old and has been suffering from chronic insomnia for three years. Every night it is very difficult to fall asleep, after 1 - 2 hours of sleep, wake up, wake up early in the morning, and it is difficult to sleep again. I have heard that meditation cures insomnia, so I want to encourage my mother to participate, but I don't know if it's really good. Ask your doctor for more advice on this method. I thank you.
Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long (Psychiatric Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital): Hello! According to psychologists, meditation helps us to calm down and control emotions better. At the same time, the body is also in a state of calm, the brain is completely rested. From there, the body gradually recovers and balances psycho-physiology. So while meditating, we can review everything wisely to find a solution. Or help put aside worries and worries to focus on sleep.
Meditation to cure insomnia brings many benefits such as:
Regulating physiology and natural circadian rhythms. Helps to put the body to sleep easily. Improve sleep quality (sleep better and deeper). Create the right sleep habits, get enough sleep. Relieve physical and mental illnesses. Support for the long-term treatment of insomnia. However, meditation for insomnia is a therapy that affects the patient's thoughts and psychology to significantly support the improvement of psychological insomnia. And the damage inside needs to be affected more directly to treat the root cause of insomnia.
Therefore, to be able to effectively treat insomnia, patients need to combine with more specialized methods. You go to a specialist to be diagnosed and given the most accurate treatment.

26: Reader Nguyen Van Giang (49 years old, Ha Long, Quang Ninh): Hello doctor, I was born in 1970. Since two years now I often face insomnia. Initially, the naps, or awakenings, later became more and more difficult for me, some nights were almost completely awake. Encouraged, I went to the hospital to have an electrocardiogram, diagnosed with a mild anxiety disorder and chronic insomnia. After taking the medicine, my symptoms have decreased but not much, I still have difficulty falling asleep and waking up difficult to fall back to sleep. Please advise an effective way to treat chronic insomnia so that I can recover my health. Thank you!
Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long (Psychiatric Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital): Hello! Insomnia is a condition in which it is difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep at night, wake up early and not be able to fall back to sleep. Insomnia for less than 1 month is called acute insomnia, and insomnia for more than 1 month is called chronic insomnia. The best way to treat chronic insomnia is to find out what's causing it.
There are a number of measures to treat chronic insomnia including:
Psychotherapy: This method plays a very important role in chronic insomnia. Simple relaxation such as meditation, qigong practice, yoga, nourishing exercises, ... are all effective for treating insomnia. Practicing a moderate lifestyle and diet, being optimistic, often participating in community activities, club activities, pursuing one or more healthy pastimes are also factors that help eliminate insomnia. Eat some nutritious foods to treat insomnia such as Chamomile tea, oatmeal or chicken at dinner, a cup of warm honey before bed....help overcome chronic insomnia. Treatment with Western medicine: Using sedatives to support the treatment of chronic insomnia, however, in the long run, side effects are difficult to avoid. Treatment with Oriental medicine often uses herbs that activate blood, clear blood vessels, nourish the brain, and nourish blood to help patients gradually overcome the symptoms of insomnia. Exercise and sports regularly. You should visit a specialist in Psychology - Neurology for the most accurate diagnosis and treatment of chronic insomnia.
27: friend Ngo Ngoc Anh (30 years old, Linh Dam Urban Area, Hanoi) Doctor, I heard that eating chocolate can't sleep, right? My grandchildren love to eat chocolate before going to bed. Currently on summer break, so my children's sleeping time is somewhat disturbed, so I'm not sure if it's because of eating chocolate anymore, so I asked the doctor to answer.
Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long (Psychiatric Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital): Chocolate is a mixture of cocoa and cocoa butter, sugar, milk and other additives, which are finally added. closed in the form of a bar. Eating chocolate properly will be very good for health, they have a positive effect on the circulatory system, have anti-cancer effects, stimulate the brain, treat coughs and fight diarrhea.
However, we should not use too much chocolate because eating chocolate can cause insomnia at night. The reason why eating chocolate can't sleep is because chocolate contains a lot of tyrosine.
Tyrosine will convert to the stimulant dopamine. This substance makes you always feel awake, excited at night, can't sleep when lying up or down and is the cause of eating chocolate and losing sleep at night.

28: My friend Tran My Duyen (20 years old, address Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province): The doctor asked me what are the harmful effects of insomnia? My mother is more than 50 years old, she sleeps late at night, wakes up early in the morning because she can't sleep, but she refuses to listen to her doctor. Ask your doctor for advice on the harmful effects of insomnia so that you can convince your mother. I thank you!
Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long (Psychiatric Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital): Hello! Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is common not only in the elderly but also in the young. Insomnia has many causes. Whatever the cause, if not treated properly, it can cause dangerous complications. Here are 10 harmful effects of sleep loss:
Lack of sleep is linked to a higher risk of certain cancers. Lack of sleep makes wounds on the skin difficult to heal and the skin is also more susceptible to aging. Lack of sleep makes it difficult to control your urges, potentially leading to unhealthy behaviors and weight gain. People feel more lonely after sleepless nights. Sleep deprivation makes it harder for people to control their emotions. Lack of sleep increases your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Sleepiness makes you irritable and irritable. Lack of sleep can cause hallucinations, which is very dangerous when participating in traffic. People with sleep deprivation react slowly to everything around them. The immune system doesn't work well when you're tired. Sleep deprived people are more prone to depression. So treatment for depression often also includes treatment for insomnia. To limit the harmful effects of insomnia. You should go to the hospital to be diagnosed by a doctor and give appropriate treatment.
29 Friend Tran Linh Chi (Ba Dinh, Hanoi): Hello doctor, I'm 28 years old. Recently, due to work pressure, I often have insomnia, two days ago I had nausea. Although the eyes want to sleep, they cannot fall asleep, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Just a small movement such as coughing, swallowing... is vomiting again. Can the doctor tell me what is insomnia and what can be cured? I had a gastroscopy and the results were negative. I'm also unmarried, so I don't have a baby either.
Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long (Psychiatric Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital): Hello! Insomnia and nausea not only affect the patient's physical condition but also seriously affect health and life if this phenomenon lasts for a long time. According to your description, the phenomenon of insomnia and nausea can be caused by the following reasons:
Due to general diseases: joint disease, cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, stomach... Due to mental illness: depression, mania Depression, anxiety disorders, dementia... Due to a decrease in hormones in the body, it can also cause a phenomenon of not sleeping deeply. To prevent insomnia, nausea, it is necessary to thoroughly treat the underlying disease first. In addition, it is also necessary to create habits that help you fall asleep easily and have deep sleep. You can refer to the following methods:
Practice going to bed and waking up at the same time. During the day, you should only take a 15-30 minute nap at noon, do not sleep during the day because it will make it difficult for you to sleep at night. Do not eat dinner too full, it will lead to insomnia and nausea. Avoid drinking alcohol, coffee, smoking in the evening. The caffeine in coffee and the nicotine in cigarettes are stimulants that make it difficult to fall asleep. Alcohol wakes you up in the middle of the night and reduces the quality of your sleep. Exercise regularly for 30 minutes every day. Avoid exercising near bedtime as this can make it difficult to fall asleep. Exercise should be done 3-4 hours before going to bed. Arrange the bedroom so that it is comfortable, dark enough, quiet, not too hot or too cold. Do not work in bed/bedroom. If you can't sleep or don't feel sleepy, sit up and read or do something (not too exciting) until you feel sleepy. If you have a lot of things to take care of, write down a to-do list and then go back to sleep. If insomnia and nausea persist, you need to see a specialist for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

30: Friend Pham Tuyet Ngoc (18 years old, email address Phamtuyetngoc...@gmail.com) Hello doctor, My mother was born in 1965, since five years she often suffers from chronic insomnia, restless nights Wake up quickly in the morning. Because of chronic insomnia, the mother and child's health is significantly affected, the mother is often tired due to lack of sleep, poor eating, often forgetful, pale skin. My family has applied many measures to improve the mother's sleep such as going to bed early, practicing nutrition, taking sleep-supporting functional foods, but the chronic insomnia has not been improved. Please tell me how to effectively treat chronic insomnia? I thank you.
Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long (Psychiatric Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital): Hello! Sleep plays an important role in stabilizing physiological activities of the body. Normal sleep is divided into 2 successive stages: light sleep and deep sleep. The light sleep stage accounts for 1⁄4 of sleep, at this stage the sleeper is awake, easy to wake up, and dreamy. The deep sleep stage accounts for 3⁄4 of sleep, the sleeper is fast asleep, difficult to wake up, and does not dream. Sleep disturbance occurs when the light sleep phase is prolonged, the deep sleep phase is shortened, causing a feeling of not being asleep, tired when waking up.
Chronic long-term insomnia weakens immunity, health, body fatigue, hearing loss, memory loss, poor concentration, mental instability, excitability, depression...
To treat chronic insomnia, it is necessary to identify the cause of insomnia. Once the cause has been identified, try to eliminate the cause of insomnia such as:
If it is caused by activities (drinking alcohol, beer, change, time zone, anxiety ...) then the regimen must be adjusted. living level. If due to physical causes (illness, pain, discomfort...) need to be treated to cure insomnia. If the cause is due to living space: Need to create a comfortable psychology before sleeping, quiet place, airy, fresh air, suitable temperature, bed mats, blankets must be suitable for deep sleep. You can also use some types of Oriental medicine and Western medicine, Psychotherapy to treat chronic insomnia, but you need to absolutely follow the instructions of the Doctor.
Unanswered questions from readers will be answered by Vinmec via email. You are invited to ask questions to the doctor in the next topic: Children's health in the hot summer season, which will take place on July 24!