Insomnia 101: Tossing & Turning? The Physiology of Sleep Fragmentation in Insomnia
We all have had nights in which we seem to toss and turn. But what is actually taking place from a physiologic standpoint with our sleep? @andyberkowskimd of ReLACS Health reviews what sleep specialists call sleep fragmentation.
In this video, we review what is actually occurring in the brain related to sleep when an individual feels like they are tossing and turning. This is a common phenomenon, as it can happen to any good sleeper on any night, but for those with chronic insomnia disorder, it can feel like they have sleep fragmentation and poor sleep quality as much as every night.
To learn about five tips to improve sleep for just about anyone, read this blog post:
https://www.relacshealth.com/blog/a-relacsing-blog-7-5-tips-that-can-improve-sleep-for-everyone
The two main aspects of sleep include the physical and psychophysical, and there are effects in both domains that can lead to lighter, unrefreshing sleep. Things that can impact physical sleep include taking long naps, inconsistency is sleep schedule, medical conditions like untreated obstructive sleep apnea, and substances like caffeine and alcohol.
Watch this video to understand why it is important to wake up at the same time every day:
Psychophysical factors impact the state of mind, which can override and disrupt physical sleep. These can include short-term or long-term stress, excitement, anxiety, and the self-fulfilling condition of insomnia disorder in which worrying about sleep itself lead to more trouble sleeping.
This video addresses more specific details of why nighttime worry can cause poor sleep quality:
Possible treatment or ways to address tossing and turning may be as simple as acceptance that on certain nights, one can have poor sleep quality and that is normal. There may be a good reason and the tossing and turning does not lead to harm. Other techniques include adapting consistency in sleep timing and routine, incorporating a buffer zone, and a variety of techniques for relaxation and stress reduction.
What is a sleep buffer zone? Watch this video:
Lastly, for those who have poor sleep quality on a regular, and long-term basis, chronic insomnia disorder may need to be addressed through medical evaluation, with the first-line treatment being cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT-I) and not supplements or sleeping medications. To better understand CBT-I, view this: https://youtu.be/1Q99kYaN79Y
These videos are for general information only, but for those who live in or near Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, or Florida, you can hire @andyberkowskimd of ReLACS Health for consultation to address too frequent tossing and turning, to provide CBT-I from a board-certified sleep physician, and to tweak any sleep situation for optimal sleep health. Schedule now.
