According to the Spanish Sleep Society, difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, or waking up before the alarm clock rings and being unable to fall back asleep are sleep disorders that should be considered health problems. Around 15% of the general population, especially women, suffer from one or more of these symptoms throughout their lives.
Due to lack of sleep, our bodies produce less melatonin. This hormone, which has antioxidant functions in the brain and skin, regulates the sleep cycle and allows cells damaged during the day by pollution or ionizing radiation to repair themselves. This deficit begins to worsen after the age of 35, when melatonin production begins to decline and, as a result, skin protection decreases.
As we spend more nights without sleep, the body produces more cortisol, the stress hormone, which causes a decrease in natural collagen production. This reduction causes the skin's elasticity to worsen and rehydration to suffer, promoting the appearance of wrinkles. A situation that, in some cases, causes the individual's chronological age to not correspond with their biological age.
It is possible to find out whether our internal biology (that of our cells) matches our physical age by measuring the length of our telomeres. These are the ends of DNA strands that shorten with cell division. The faster they shorten, the faster we age.
Although genetics influence this discrepancy, 75% of the causes are due, among other factors, to stress or lack of sleep. At Biosalud Day Hospital, we offer a Telomere Analysis, which consists of a blood test that uses certain parameters to determine the length of telomeres and reveal the biological age and degree of biological deterioration of the body. With the results of this analysis, we can personalize a treatment and thus slow down the shortening of telomeres.
Biosalud Day Hospital improves the body's functioning by combining its high-tech treatments with specific diets for each patient. To do this, it maintains an adequate level of amino acids and minerals that promote the release of serotonin. In fact, up to 90% of this hormone, which is associated with sleep control, is produced in the small intestine.
Our Medical Wellness programaims to reduce stress so you can fall asleep more effectively. We offer two programs: Executive, for those who lead a very demanding lifestyle, and Anti-Stress, which reduces mental fatigue.
Sleep-disordered breathing, the most common form of which is sleep apnea, causes interruptions in breathing while sleeping. These interruptions have negative consequences on our physical and mental health. Although there are several types, most cases of apnea are caused by a deformity in the maxillofacial area that can be treated with surgery.
Growth factor injections as an anti-aging treatment prevent cellular oxidation. At Bisoalud Day Hospital, we have extensive experience in applying this regenerative medicine technique, which can be complemented with wrinkle fillers, radiofrequency, or diathermy.
Finally, we cannot forget about the healthy habit of taking a nap to help us compensate for sleep deprivation. Nobel Prize winner in medicine Michael W. Young argues that napping originated in Africa millions of years ago and continues to be part of human biology today. This sleep pattern should complement the seven hours of sleep an adult needs at night to keep our bodies and skin as healthy as possible.
