老年人睡眠片段化中西医病因探讨

Exploring the causes of sleep fragmentation in the elderly from the perspectives of TCM and Western medicine

文章从中西医两方面探讨老年人出现睡眠片段化的病因。西医方面通过临床观察以及中外生物实验进行探讨,中医方面从《黄帝内经》条文出发进行相关思考。西医方面:老年人睡眠相关神经递质变化,主要是5-羟色胺及褪黑激素分泌减少;大脑结构与功能退行性变化及部分神经退行性病变,如阿尔茨海默病及帕金森病;相关睡眠障碍,如阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停、不安腿综合征等导致睡眠片段化;中医方面:卫气正常出入阴阳是保持正常寤寐规律的重要保障,而营阴对卫阳的聚敛作用对维持睡眠稳定性起着至关重要的作用。而老年人随着年龄增长,气血衰少,五脏六腑日渐衰老,五脏之气耗损,致营气衰少,营气不足以有效聚敛卫气,进而影响睡眠稳定性的维持,最终导致睡眠片段化。

This article explores the etiology of sleep fragmentation in the elderly from two aspects of TCM and Western medicine.The reasons in Western medicine are discussed through clinical observation and biological experiments at home and abroad,and the reasons in TCM are considered from the provisions of Huangdi Neijing(《黄帝内经》).From the perspective of Western medicine:Changes in sleep-related neurotransmitters in the elderly are mainly decreased secretion of serotonin and melatonin,degenerative changes in brain structure and function and some neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,and related sleep disorders lead to sleep fragmentation,such as obstructive sleep apnea,restless legs syndrome,etc..From the perspective of TCM:the normal flow of Wei Qi(卫气)into and out of Yin and Yang(阴阳)is an important guarantee for maintaining normal sleep patterns,and the gathering effect of Ying Yin(营阴)on Wei Yang(卫阳)plays a crucial role in maintaining sleep stability.As the elderly grow older,their Qi and blood will decrease,their internal organs will gradually age,and the Qi of the five internal organs will be depleted.The lack of nourishing Qi is insufficient to effectively gather and Wei Qi,which in turn affects the maintenance of sleep stability and eventually leads to sleep fragmentation.