Lethargic sleep is a state in which a person becomes motionless, and all vital functions, although preserved, are noticeably reduced: pulse and breathing become less frequent, body temperature drops.
Patients with a mild form of lethargy appear to be sleeping - their heart beats at a normal frequency, their breathing remains even, but it is very difficult to wake them up. But severe forms are very similar to death - the heart beats at a speed of 2-3 beats per minute, the skin becomes pale and cold, and breathing is not felt.
Flow forms
Lethargy is a disease that is more common in females. In this state, a person becomes motionless, vital functions of the body slow down, body temperature drops by several degrees, pulse and breathing are barely noticeable. There are mild and severe forms.
- Mild form of pathology. The patient is no different from a sleeping person: even breathing, measured, clear heartbeat. It's almost impossible to wake him up.
- Severe form. The condition can easily be confused with death: the sleeping person’s skin becomes pale, the body becomes cold, the pupils do not react to light, the pulse slows down to several beats per minute, breathing cannot be felt even with the help of a mirror.
The presence of life can only be determined using medical indicators: ECG and blood tests.
What are the causes of lethargic sleep?
There is still disagreement among experts about the true causes of this condition, as well as how long pathological sleep lasts. Some doctors see the disease as one of the sleep pathologies, others find the cause in metabolic disorders.
The most common and most rational causes of lethargy are:
- frequent stressful situations or one, but very severe stress;
- the appearance of mental disorders, a tendency to hysteria;
- suffered accidents, significant injuries or bruises to the head, concussions;
- schizophrenia.
Over time, a person who has fallen into lethargy loses weight, biological development and body secretions completely stop
In rare cases, a person may fall into a lethargic sleep:
- with severe physical or emotional exhaustion;
- in case of severe poisoning;
- with significant bleeding;
- after hypnotic influence.
There are cases where the abuse of strong medications, such as Interferon, provoked deep sleep. It has also been noted that stopping the drug can bring a person out of a lethargic state.
People who have experienced such a mysterious condition claim that shortly before falling asleep, they began to have severe headaches, their whole body was overcome by an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, and their muscles became sluggish. One of the latest hypotheses among scientists is the viral etiology of the disease.
Well-known doctors of medical sciences Andrew Church and Russell Daly, after much research and studying the stories of more than 20 “asleep” patients, found that most of them had a sore throat shortly before falling asleep. Later, scientists discovered a strange virus (streptococcus bacteria) in them.
The research results obtained gave rise to the hypothesis that the bacteria that cause sore throats have mutated and, bypassing the immune system, provoked inflammation of parts of the brain. As a result, the cells of the nervous system are destroyed and fall into a state of restless sleep.
Features of the pathological condition
Symptoms of apparent death are:
- complete immobility throughout the entire illness;
- lack of reflexes and reactions to external stimuli;
- slowing down life processes.
Often, brain activity remains at the same level, consciousness is clear, the patient hears those around him, perceives their words and even remembers certain events, but a feeling of severe weakness prevents him from reacting. The condition is easily confused with diseases such as encephalitis and narcolepsy.
In a mild form of lethargic sleep, the body is relaxed, there is twitching of the eyelids and rolling of the eyes. At the same time, the ability to chew and swallow is preserved. Feeding the sleeping person can be done independently or with the help of a medical tube.
Severe cases are rare. The person outwardly resembles a dead person, the body does not visually show the slightest signs of life, there is no reaction to pain (including very severe). The sleeping person cannot feed himself, the discharge (urine, feces) stops, and the person “dries out” before our eyes.
Buried alive
In 1772, the German Duke of Mecklenburg announced that in all his possessions it was forbidden to bury people earlier than three days after death. Soon a similar measure was adopted throughout Europe. The fact is that both the nobility and representatives of the mob were very afraid of being buried alive.
Later, in the 19th century, coffin makers even began to develop special “safe coffins” in which a person buried by mistake could survive for some time and send a signal asking for help. The simplest design of such a coffin was a wooden box with a tube leading out. For several days after the funeral, a priest visited the grave. His duty was to sniff the pipe sticking out of the ground - if there was no smell of decomposition, the grave was supposed to be opened and checked whether the one who was buried in it was really dead. Sometimes a bell was attached to the pipe, with which a person could let him know that he was alive.
More complex designs were equipped with devices for supplying food and water. At the beginning of the 19th century, the German doctor Adolf Gutsmon personally demonstrated his own invention. The extreme doctor was buried alive in a special coffin, where he was able to spend several hours and even dine on sausages and beer, which were served underground using a special device.
Diagnostics
Being buried alive is one of man's worst fears. In order to exclude such an outcome, modern medicine provides a number of studies:
- Electrophysiological examination of the brain and heart makes it possible to determine the functioning of these organs. Even with the most severe form of lethargy, their weak functioning can be recorded.
- Examination of the patient for the presence of cadaveric spots and rigor.
- Chemical blood test.
- An incision to check blood circulation.
The above diagnostic methods are distinguished by obtaining accurate, reliable results.
Concert in the morgue
There were cases when patients in lethargic sleep were found already in the morgue. In December 2011, in one of the morgues in Simferopol, a man woke up from a long sleep to the sounds of heavy metal. One of the city's rock bands used the morgue as their rehearsal space. The room was well combined with the group's image, and so they could be sure that their music would not disturb anyone. During one of the rehearsals, the metalheads heard screams coming from one of the refrigeration units. The man, whose name has not been released, was released. And after this incident, the group found another place for rehearsals.
However, the case in Simferopol is a rarity in the modern world. After the invention of the electroencephalograph - a device that records the biocurrents of the brain - the danger of being buried alive was practically reduced to zero.
Treatment
Treatment is not applied to a person who has fallen into deep sleep. He is not transferred to a hospital and is not treated with medication. In this condition, the patient needs a calm home environment and unobtrusive attention from loved ones and relatives. According to people who fell into lethargic sleep, it is known that most of them heard those around them, but could not react.
Lethargic sleep is a condition that does not require drug treatment
Lethargy is an unusual, little-studied condition, in which the main thing is proper care for the “sleeping” person. Consultation with an experienced professional will be required to determine proper care. Based on a thorough diagnosis, he will establish the main rules:
- temperature regime;
- lighting;
- environment;
- basic hygiene procedures;
- method and frequency of feeding;
- drinking regime.
Interesting Facts
Gogol's lethargic dream
There is a version that the author of “Viy” and “Dead Souls” Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was buried alive. It is alleged that the writer was prone to lethargic sleep. However, the fact of burial alive was not confirmed on the global network, including Wikipedia. Authoritative sources say this is just a myth.
The attitude of medicine to lethargy
Official medicine does not identify lethargic sleep as a separate disease. If pathology is present, specialists diagnose “malaise and fatigue.” This diagnosis refers to disorders that are not included in other categories of diseases. According to ICD-10 - International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, lethargic sleep has code R.53.
Lethargy is more classified as a neurological disease. Therefore, a person who has fallen asleep for a long time should be observed by neurologists, psychotherapists or psychiatrists. If complications develop during sleep, doctors of other specialties are involved.
Lethargy in famous personalities
There is information that, in addition to Gogol, Marina Tsvetaeva, Alfred Nobel and composer Arthur Schopenhauer had a tendency towards lethargy.
Complications
Prolonged immobility of a person has a detrimental effect on the body as a whole. The longer the patient remains in this condition, the higher the likelihood that he will return as a severely disabled person. The most common complications of restless sleep:
- necrosis of certain areas of soft tissue;
- atrophy of blood vessels;
- septic damage (rotting) of the kidneys and bronchi.
With imaginary death, the aging of the body slows down, but as soon as a person wakes up, the process begins to accelerate until it reaches the desired state. Why this happens is still not known.
Why do sleepers not age?
Paradoxically, in the case of long-term lethargy, a person practically does not change. He doesn't even age. In the cases described above, both women, Nadezhda Lebedina and Augustine Leggard, corresponded to their previous ages during sleep. But as soon as their lives acquired a normal rhythm, the years took their toll. Thus, Augustine aged sharply during the first year after awakening, and Nadezhda’s body caught up with its “fifty dollars” in less than six months. The doctors recall: “What we were able to observe was unforgettable! She grew old before our eyes. Every day I added new wrinkles and gray hair.”
What is the secret of the youth of those who sleep, and how the body so quickly regains the lost years, scientists have yet to find out.
Lethargic sleep or coma?
Both conditions require proper supervision by experienced professionals.
Coma clinic
The causes of coma are: all kinds of bruises and head injuries, serious illnesses, complications during operations. Life support during coma: breathing exclusively with the help of medical devices, maintaining life only with the help of special drugs. Exit from the state: accompanied by a long period of rehabilitation, quite often the coma ends in death.
It is important to differentiate the state of lethargic sleep from coma
Clinical indicators of lethargic sleep
Cause of the disease: stress, severe dehydration, intoxication with antiviral drugs, chronic fatigue syndrome, exposure to mutating viruses. Life support: the patient breathes on his own; only in very rare cases is connection to a machine required.
Awakening: independently, without medical intervention. The patient is able to return to normal life without significant harm to the body. A lethargic state is less dangerous to human life than a coma.
Prevention
There is no single effective method for preventing and treating this mysterious disease. To avoid lethargic attacks, scientists, based on research and experience of previous generations, recommend adhering to the following rules.
In summer, in hot or humid weather, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Drink enough regular (preferably boiled) water daily for the body. Do not abuse sweets containing starch.
It is important to include dishes with a lot of plant fiber in your diet. Avoid frequent stress, sleep 6-8 hours a day. You should take strong medications with caution, and never drink alcohol at the same time.
Cases of lethargic sleep
The patient may “fall asleep” for a day or several days, and sometimes his sleep can drag on for years. So, in one of the cities of England, the priest woke up only on Sundays to eat and conduct services in the church. From past centuries, interesting facts have been known when those who fell into a state of imaginary death were so similar to the dead that they were miraculously not buried.
An incident from the life of a poet
The Italian poet of the Renaissance, Francesco Petrarca, remained in a sleepless state for about a day. When he woke up, he discovered active preparations for his burial. He felt cheerful and full of energy, which surprised those present even more. The poet lived another 30 years and was awarded a laurel wreath in 1341 as an outstanding writer of that time.
Dangerous quarrel
One of the longest and officially confirmed cases is considered to be the unremitting condition of Dnepropetrovsk resident Nadezhda Lebedina. In 1954, after a quarrel with her husband, she fell into a deep sleep that lasted 20 years. She was awakened by terrible news - the death of her mother, which she heard about while in a state of lethargy. Lebedina lived for more than 20 years and was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
A dream of 22 years
In 1919, difficult childbirth and depression provoked a deep sleep of a resident of one of the cities of Norway. The state of imaginary death dragged on for Augustine Linggard for as long as 22 years. The functions of her body slowed down so much that the girl did not change at all throughout the entire time. When she woke up in 1941, she looked no worse than her adult daughter. But the Norwegian's youth did not last long. A year later, she aged to her real age.
Where are my toys
A lethargic state slows down not only physiological processes, but also intellectual development. After falling asleep at the age of 6, a girl from Buenos Aires slept for 19 years. When she woke up, the first thing she wanted was to play with her favorite dolls.
It is impossible to predict the duration of lethargic sleep for a particular person.
Fears of the Great
The fear of being buried alive haunted not only ordinary people, but also famous personalities. The first American president, George Washington, . He repeatedly asked his loved ones that the funeral take place no earlier than two days after his death. The poetess Marina Tsvetaeva and the inventor of dynamite Alfred Nobel experienced similar fear .
Article on the topic
Phobias of great people.
What were Dali, Gogol, Freud and Hitchcock afraid of? But probably the most famous taphophobe was Nikolai Gogol - more than anything else, the writer was afraid that he would be buried alive.
It must be said that the creator of Dead Souls had some reasons for this. The fact is that in his youth Gogol suffered malarial encephalitis. The disease made itself felt throughout his life and was accompanied by deep fainting followed by sleep. Nikolai Vasilyevich feared that during one of these attacks he might be mistaken for dead and buried. In the last years of his life, he was so frightened that he preferred not to go to bed and slept sitting up so that his sleep would be more sensitive. By the way, there is a legend that Gogol’s fears were justified and the writer was actually buried alive. When the writer’s grave was opened for reburial, they discovered that the body was lying in the coffin in an unnatural position, with its head turned to one side. Similar cases of the position of bodies were known before, and each time they suggested thoughts of burial alive. However, modern experts have given this phenomenon a completely logical explanation. The fact is that the boards of the coffin rot unevenly and collapse, which disrupts the position of the skeleton.
The most important
Until now, many scientists do not believe in the existence of lethargy and consider this condition to be a consequence of severe fatigue and moral exhaustion of the body, various kinds of troubles and stress. They are confident that good rest and quality sleep can cure a person of illness.
Whether it will be possible to unravel the mystery of this condition - time will tell. Perhaps very soon scientists will answer the question of many about what lies in the state of lethargic sleep and will find an effective treatment for the mysterious disease.
First things first, dolls
Lethargy also slows down mental development. So, the first thing a 25-year-old girl from Buenos Aires wanted to do when she woke up from a lethargic sleep was to play with dolls. An adult woman at the time of her awakening, she fell asleep when she was only six years old and simply did not realize how much she had grown.
Between life and death. Stories of people who fell into comas for years
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