Lack of sleep: half of Argentines sleep badly and there is a revealing fact about women’s rest

Sleeping is a custom whose consequences are not usually mentioned. According to a study, more than 50% of Argentines do not sleep properly and one of the most affected groups are women. There are explanations that help to understand why it is necessary to improve sleep quality.

According to a survey conducted by the Argentine Association of Sleep Medicinemore than 50% of Argentines do not sleep properly. This data coincides with a study of the Applied Social Psychology Observatory of the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). This, carried out in 2023, indicated that 45% of the survey participants – in 3141 cases relieved – indicated some kind of sleeping problem.

Lack of sleep

Among those who reported sleep disorders, 28.9% said they have difficulty starting it, 29.6%, to maintain it and 30% said it wakes up before what I wanted. In 48% of cases they cited the concerns and night thoughts as causes.

Demographically, significant differences are observed: Women have higher levels of difficulty sleeptogether with people over 60 years old and who define themselves with a lower class.

“One of the most common reasons is related to the long working days that many must face, adding social and economic pressure. Living in a society that values ​​productivity and performance can lead to many people to neglect their restprioritizing work and obligations, ”he said Agustín González Cardozo, a neurologist of the Dream Medicine Unit of the Fleni Hospital to La Nación.

Artificial light and nightlife

The director of the Sleep Clinic of the Austral University Hospital, Daniel Pérez Chadaalso warned that most Argentines, like the inhabitants of many other Western countries, do not sleep what is necessary. Explanations pass through the lifestyle, cultural guidelines, such as night outings, among others.

Extended commercial and labor schedules do not help either. In other cases, the determining factor lies in the need to have more than one job to sustain themselves economically. Exposure to screens at night, stress and irregular schedules make up a harmful combo.

For its part, Silvana Malnis, pneumonologist and doctor of the Dream Laboratory of the German Hospitalhe told the newspaper that In large cities there is less hours than in small towns. “The most resounding change of modernity can be attributed to the 24/7 clock of artificial light. The modern culture of having stimuli beyond the time the sun goes down, From my point of view, it is the key, ”he emphasized.

The lack of proper rest is called sleep deprivation and can be acute or chronic. Malnis explains that people may sleep badly an isolated night And this makes it difficult to stay awake, concentrate and cause changes in mood such as irritability or anxiety and even drowsiness.

But clarify that Chronic sleep deprivation is the most dangerous for health since it generates a set of symptoms such as anxiety, weight gain, depression and excessive diurnal drowsiness, among others.

Memory failures and the greatest propensity to have accidents are also visible in the offices when patients who fail to sleep arrive. Pérez Chada contributes that in the most serious cases, long -term problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, cognitive alterations and metabolic disorders can be triggered.

How much do you have to sleep?

The specialists agree that There is no amount established while emphasizing that sleep is an individual pattern and it is not possible to make generalizations. However, there is a recommendation or suggestion that varies according to age. Pérez Chada states that it is advisable for an adult is sleeping between seven and eight hours; to the youngest 12 hours of sleep or more and in adolescents no less than nine hours.

“The need for sleep hours is individual and depends on the lifestyle of each one, that is, on food, the amount of hours of exercise carried out by the person, the activities carried out, the type of work, the affective maturity, among other issues. It is advisable to complete four sleep cycles, from 90 to 120 minutes, ”he added to LN.

Pérez Chada said that one of the most decisive aspects is the glinphathic flow process. “Through this mechanism the brain is able to eliminate toxic substances that accumulate during vigil and are purified during sleep hours. In addition, the fabric repair, the immune system is reinforced, memory is consolidated and hormones are balanced, ” concludes.

A myth that is true is that women need to sleep more and have its foundation In biological and hormonal reasons. Malnis states that sex hormones such as testosterone, progesterone and estrogens They are also neuronal hormones. “It is known that the female brain is differently different than the masculine, and this suggests that a few more minutes are necessary for the female,” he says.

In that sense, Pérez Chada ensures that women often perceive that they have a worse sleep quality than men. And this is explained precisely by the hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or climacteric. Estrogens and progesterone impact sleep regulation. “To these physiological factors are added labor, social and family responsibilities“, held.