Writer｜Sindy He
Layout Designer｜Cecilia Qin
Why is sleep a luxury now?
Have you ever had insomnia, or have you been plagued by it? An ongoing survey finds out that people under 18 have a high level of sleep procrastination rate; this group of people tends to stay on their phones for hours before going to bed, and consequently past the time when they should go to bed. On the other hand, people over 18 affected by work and school pressure, mental anxiety, and family reasons, develop a feeling that sleep is a waste of life, so take the initiative to sleep late, by extending the night to pretend to seize the time, to resist the "life wasted" feeling of emptiness. This is the implementation of their own "sleep deprivation", in self-punishment, and self-torture. According to statistics from the Chinese Sleep Research Society (CSRS), more than 300 million Chinese people suffered from some kind of sleep disorder in 2021, and the incidence of insomnia among adults is as high as 38.2%. The 2022 China National Healthy Sleep White Paper shows that nearly three-quarters of respondents said they had sleep problems, including 33.1% of difficulty falling asleep, 25.8% of easy waking, 23.5% of insomnia, 21.8% of snoring, and 20.5% of excessive dreaming. With these sky-rocketing morbidities, people need to acknowledge this is indeed a problem. So, what exactly is insomnia and what are some criteria for it? The National Institutes of Health answered this question by explaining that "Three main components are required to diagnose insomnia: persistent sleep difficulties, adequate sleep opportunities, and associated daytime dysfunction" (nih.gov, 2022). Insomnia might be a minor annoyance for some people. Others may have severe disruptions from sleeplessness. For numerous reasons, your body needs sleep and we should try our best to rest and keep you from functioning at your best.
We should put this issue under the spotlight:
Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder that often goes undiagnosed by physicians. However, its effect on the human body is massive. As Dr. Michael Twery, a sleep expert at NIH points out, "Almost every tissue in our bodies is affected by sleep;" and he furthers, "It has an impact on our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health." Among the most common treatments are relaxation techniques and deep breathing exercises. In some cases, medication is also prescribed. But consult your doctor before trying over-the-counter sleep medications, as they may leave you feeling a sense of drowsiness in the morning.
How does daridorexant work to treat insomnia?
The more widely used treatments today are pharmacotherapy, including those approved by regulatory agencies for the treatment of insomnia, off-label prescription drugs for insomnia, over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids, and dietary supplements (e.g., melatonin). All of these medications have more serious side effects, including nightmares while sleeping, short-term feelings of depression, stomach cramps, and sleep-related behaviors such as driving while not fully awake.
The US Food and Drug Administration authorized daridorexant (Quviviq) for the treatment of adult insomnia in January 2022. Unlike other insomnia medications on the market, daridorexant has very few common side effects. Adult patients with insomnia may use the oral pill daridorexant. It comes from the class of medications known as orexin receptor antagonists. The Orexin receptor antagonist (ORA) is the most recent class of insomnia medications. Every day, your brain produces a protein called orexin that helps you wake up. During the wake-up process, orexin attaches itself to certain nerve cells. In the hours before sleep, orexin is typically less active so you feel sleepy. At that time, other proteins that promote sleep are more active. Daridorexant functions as an ORA by inhibiting orexin from attaching to those nerve cells. As a result, your brain enters sleep mode and remains there for as long as possible. It will take a while for daridorexant to wear off, and then you will feel a natural urge to wake up again. In three phases of clinical studies, most people tolerated Daridorexant well. Headache and sleepiness were the most common side effects. Because of the risk of addiction, Daridorexant has been requested by the FDA to be classified under controlled prescription drugs.
How should I take care of myself?
March 17th is World Sleep Day, and this year's theme is "Good Sleep, Source of Health". One-third of a person's life is spent in sleep, and a good night's sleep is related to one's the mental outlook and physical health.
Here are some techniques you should practice to improve your sleeping quality.
Establish healthy sleep habits:
Maintain a routine, go to bed regularly at night, and avoid staying on cell phones or TV too long before going to bed.
Regulate emotions
Face the stresses and challenges in life positively, find relaxation methods that suit you, such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing, etc.
Dietary regulation
Avoid drinking large amounts of coffee, tea, and cola, and be careful to eat a light and regular diet.
Face insomnia
If it is short-term insomnia, there is no need to over panic, you can first self-adjust by the above methods, if self-adjustment is difficult, insomnia persists, or combined with emotional problems, you should seek professional medical help.
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