Sleep and the circadian clock
Sleep is necessary for the normal human brain functioning. The sleep-wake cycle is regulated by two separate biological clocks called the circadian clock and sleep homeostasis/homeostatic mechanism. Their work is autonomous, similar to heart rate, and is independent of feelings of fatigue, illness, or other conditions of the organism.
The circadian clock determines the 24-hour rhythm of a person’s physical and mental functions, starting from sleep, through the secretion of hormones to the work of internal organs, while the homeostatic or S-clock is a promoter of wakefulness. The exact necessary amount of sleep can vary between individuals, but on average most adults sleep between 6-8 hours a night.
Sleeplessness is a very common sleep disorder affecting millions of people around the world. Sleeplessness or insomnia is a disorder characterized by falling asleep difficulties or problems with sleep maintainance, or both, and will not only affect our mood, but also our health.
There is almost no person who did not have interrupted sleep at night, and as our people would say, watched over himself. Transient insomnia is a common thing, which lasts from one to 3-4 nights in one episode. Also, it is often a consequence of stress, excitement, change of workplace, frequent night shifts, environment, time zone and does not have permanent consequences.
Dr Gorica Đokić
Chronic insomnia
The most common causes of chronic insomnia are: stress, anxiety, depression, use of certain medications (some hypertension medications, asthma medications, corticosteroids, weight loss products), coffee, nicotine and alcohol, medical conditions, chronic pain, malignant diseases, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, lung disease), etc.
Insomnia is more common in older age, when a change in daily activities and faster fatigue occur.
However, insomnia, i.e. sleep deprivation can have health consequences to such an extent that the 24-hour wakefulness changes perception, weakens attention and concentration, and after only 36 hours the body slowly enters the risk zone. The concentration decreases significantly, there are periods a person does not remember at all, he becomes apathetic. After 48 hours without sleep, the body activates defense mechanisms such as micro sleep, that is, minute fractions similar to fainting in which the person falls asleep, after which disorientation develops.
In terms of chronic insomnia, a person is unable to perceive something happening around him, physical reactions are very slow (sleep deprivation is one of the most common causes of car accidents), memory, perception, speech are damaged. There is a constant feeling of fatigue, daytime sleepiness, irritability, depression and / or anxiety, concentration difficulties and undirected attention, significant changes in the reactivity to alcohol and tranquilizers, which can lead to numerous behavioral disorders, aggression, and hallucinations.
Chronic insomnia can also lead to high blood pressure, impaired immunity, hormonal disorders, headaches, stomach upsets/digestive disorders, but also obesity and an increased risk of diabetes.
The necessary therapy depends on the cause of insomnia. There are various approaches to solving this problem, ranging from cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy through auxiliary drugs, alternative medicine to sleep medications. Certainly, it is least desirable to take sleeping pills on your own, mostly from the group of sedatives or hypnotics, and must be taken only if prescribed by a psychiatrist or neurologist.
For good sleep – Magnall Sleep
Among the auxiliary remedies that can help with insomnia, Magnall Sleep stands out from other supplements, representing a unique formulation of magnesium with melatonin, the active form of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12.
Magnall Sleep helps to eliminate the symptoms of insomnia and the sleep-wake cycle disorders. Magnall Sleep has a triple effect by acting on the circadian rhythm, it:
- Facilitates faster falling asleep
- Improves sleep duration, length, and quality
- Eliminates morning fatigue
The results of the original scientific research presented in the international scientific community showed that the three-month supplementation of the magnesium-melatonin-vitamin B complex, as found in Magnall Sleep, has a beneficial effect in the treatment of insomnia. [1] [2]
[1] G.M. Đokić, P. Vojvodić, D. Korčok, A. Agić, A. Ranković, V. Đorđević; “ The effects of magnesium-melatonin-vitamin B complex supplementation in treatment of insomnia”; European Neuropsychopharmacology, 2019. EP.1024.
[2] Đokić G., Vojvodić P., Korčok D., Agić A., Ranković A., Đorđević V., Vojvodić A., Vlašković-Jovićević T., Peric-Hajzler Z., Matović D., Vojvodić J., Sijan G., Wollina U., Tirant M., Thuong NV, Fioranelli M., Lotti T. “The Effects of Magnesium-Melatonin-Vit B Complex Supplementation in Treatment of Insomnia. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019 Aug 30; 7(18): 3101-3105.doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2019.771. eCollection 2019 Sep.30
