Ukulala Ngokwanele
KUYE kwenziwa intuthuko enkulu ekuqondeni inqubo yokulala kule minyaka engu-50 edlule. Okuye kwatholakala kuchitha eminye yemibono eyiphutha osekuyisikhathi eside ikhona. Omunye wale mibono uthi njengoba imisebenzi eminingi emzimbeni ima lapho umuntu ephumule, ukulala kumane nje kuyisimo sokungenzi lutho.
Ngokuhlola amaza obuchopho, abacwaningi bezokwelapha baye bafunda ukuthi kunemijikelezo eziphindaphindayo lapho umuntu elele. Esikhundleni sokungenzi lutho, ubuchopho bomuntu busebenza ngokugcwele phakathi nezigaba ezithile zokulala. Ukulala okunempilo kuhilela ukudlula kule mijikelezo kane noma ngaphezulu ubusuku ngabunye nokuchitha isikhathi eside ngokwanele emjikelezweni ngamunye.
Ubunkimbinkimbi Benqubo Yokulala
Ukulala okuvamile ebusuku ngokuyinhloko kuhlukaniswe kwaba yizigaba ezimbili: yileso ngokuvamile esibizwa ngokuthi isigaba sokulala se-REM (rapid eye movement, noma sokuphupha) kanye nesigaba sokulala se-non-REM (esingenawo amaphupho). Ungambona umuntu uma esesigabeni se-REM ngokuthi amehlo akhe anyakaze ngokushesha kodwa ebe ewavalile.
Isigaba se-non-REM singahlukaniswa sibe ezinye izigaba ezine. Ngemva kokungena ezingutsheni, kancane kancane ungena esigabeni sokuqala—ukozela. Phakathi nalesi sigaba imisipha yakho iyakhululeka futhi amaza obuchopho bakho ayahlukahluka futhi asheshe. Ukuqala kwalesi sigaba ebusuku ngabunye kuvame ukuthatha imizuzwana engu-30 kuya emizuzwini engu-7. Lapho usungena esigabeni sesibili—usuzumeka—lapho ngokuvamile uyochitha khona amaphesenti angu-20 obusuku, amaza obuchopho aba makhulu. Ungase ube nemicabango engahlangani noma izithombe ezidlula engqondweni yakho, kodwa awazi ukuthi kwenzekani endaweni ekuzungezile futhi awuboni lutho ngisho nalapho amehlo akho evulekile.
Ngokulandelayo kuba nesigaba sesithathu nesesine—ukuzumeka zwi. Kulesi sigaba sokulala, esibizwa nangokuthi i-delta, ubuchopho bakho buba namaza amakhulu, ahamba kancane. Kulapha lapho kunzima khona ukukuvusa, ngenxa yokuthi igazi lakho eliningi ligelezela emisipheni yomzimba. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi (esivame ukuba cishe isigamu sobusuku), umzimba uyazivuselela futhi uzilungise, futhi imizimba yezingane ikhula phakathi nalesi sigaba okuthiwa i-delta. Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuthi noma ubani, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi mncane noma mdala, ongafinyeleli esigabeni se-delta sokulala azumeke zwi cishe uyozizwa ekhathele, engenamdlandla, noma ecindezelekile ngakusasa.
Ekugcineni, umjikelezo ngamunye ugcina ngesigaba esihluke ngokuphelele okuthiwa i-REM. Phakathi nalesi sigaba sokuphupha (okwenzeka cishe njalo ngemva kwemizuzu engu-90), igazi eliningi liya ebuchosheni futhi amaza obuchopho bakho acishe afane nalapho uphapheme. Nokho, usuke ungakwazi ukunyakaza. Kubonakala sengathi lokhu kwehluleka ukunyakaza kukuvimbela ukuba ungenzi izinto oziphuphayo bese uzilimaza wena noma abanye abantu.
Le mijikelezo ye-REM, noma yokuphupha, iqhubeka iba mide isikhathi ngasinye lapho ifika ebusuku futhi ibonakala ibalulekile empilweni yengqondo. Njenge-computer, ubuchopho buhlola indawo egcina inkumbulo yesikhashana, bususe ukwaziswa okungabalulekile kodwa bugcine lokho okudingekayo ukuze ukukhumbule isikhathi eside. Kuyaziwa ukuthi ukuntuleka okukhulu kwemijikelezo yokuphupha kuholela ezinkingeni ezingokomzwelo. Ngokwesibonelo, abantu abanenkinga yokuqwasha bachitha isikhathi esingaphansi kwesivamile esigabeni se-REM, okubangela inkinga enkulu eqhubekayo yokukhathazeka okwandayo.
Ngakho, kwenzekani uma singayitholi njalo (kungaba ngamabomu noma ngokungenhloso) le mijikelezo eziphindaphindayo, kanjalo kudaleke isikweleti sokulala? Uma siqhubeka silala amahora angaphansi kwadingekayo, ngeke silithole ithuba lokujabulela isigaba sokugcina neside se-REM, esibalulekile empilweni yengqondo. Uma indlela yethu yokulala iguquguquka, sithatha isihlwathi njalo, ngokuvamile asifiki esigabeni se-delta sokulala sizumeke zwi esidingekayo ukuze kuvuseleleke imizimba yethu. Labo abanesikweleti esikhulu baba nenkinga yokugxilisa ingqondo isikhathi eside, bayakhohlwa futhi babalekelwa amagama lapho bekhuluma, babe nekhono eliphansi lokucabanga ngokuhluzekile kanye nelokusungula izinto.
Yini eyenza umzimba ufune ukulala? Kubonakala sengathi kuhlangana izici eziningana ukuze kwakheke umjikelezo wansuku zonke wokulala nokuphaphama. Kubonakala sengathi amakhemikhali asebuchosheni afeza indima ethile. Futhi, kunesizinda samangqamuzana ezinzwa asebuchosheni, okubonakala sisiza ekulawuleni umjikelezo wokulala. Leli “washi” liseduze nalapho kuhlangana khona izinzwa zokubona. Ngakho, ukukhanya kuthonya indlela esilala ngayo. Ukukhanya okukhulu kuyakuvusa, kanti ubumnyama bubangela ubuthongo.
Izinga lokushisa komzimba nalo linendima. Lapho izinga lokushisa liphakeme kakhulu—ngokuvamile emini yasekuseni nakusihlwa—usuke uphapheme kakhulu. Njengoba ukushisa komzimba kwehla, uyezela. Abacwaningi bayavuma ukuthi umjikelezo wokuphaphama nokozela uyahlukahluka kuye ngabantu.
Kudingeka Ulale Kangakanani?
Ososayensi basitshela ukuthi ngokwesilinganiso, abantu badinga ukulala amahora angaba ngu-8 ubusuku ngabunye. Kodwa ucwaningo lubonisa nokuthi izidingo zabantu ngabanye ziyahlukahluka kakhulu.
Ukuzihlola ngobuqotho kungakusiza ubone ukuthi kakade usunaso yini isimiso sokulala esinempilo noma unesikweleti sokulala. Imvamisa ochwepheshe bayavumelana ngalezi zimpawu zokulala okunempilo:
◼ Ubuthongo bufika kalula ngaphandle kokusebenzisa imithi noma ukuphenduphenduka noma ukukhathazeka.
◼ Awuvamile ukuqaphela uma uphaphama phakathi nobusuku, kodwa uma kwenzeka uphaphama, uyazumeka futhi ngokushesha.
◼ Ukuvuka kuyazenzakalela cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo njalo ekuseni futhi ngokuvamile ngaphandle kokuvuswa yiwashi elicushiwe.
◼ Lapho usuvukile, uzizwa uphapheme futhi usangulukile usuku lonke.
Izinyathelo Eziwusizo
Kuthiwani ngalabo abaqwashayo ngezikhathi ezithile? Abanye ochwepheshe basikisela lezi zinyathelo eziwusizo:
1. Gwema izinto eziphaphamisayo ezinjengekhofi noma itiye uma usuzolala. Abantu abaningi ngephutha bacabanga ukuthi iziphuzo ezidakayo ziyabasiza ukuba balale. Nokho, ucwaningo lwezokwelapha lubonisa ukuthi utshwala bungenza okuphambene nalokho futhi bukugcine uphapheme.
2. Yeka ugwayi. Uchwepheshe othile uthi: “Abantu ababhemayo banenkinga enkulu yokulala, ngoba ugwayi uphakamisa umfutho wegazi, wenze inhliziyo ishaye ngamandla, futhi ushukumisa ukusebenza kobuchopho. Futhi abantu ababhemayo bavame ukuphaphama kaningi phakathi nobusuku, cishe ngenxa yokuthi umzimba wabo usuke uqalekele ugwayi.”
3. Gwema izinto ezishukumisa ingqondo noma umzimba ngokweqile ngaphambi nje kokuba uyolala. Ukuvivinya umzimba kuwusiza ukuba uphumule kahle kodwa hhayi uma kwenziwa ngaphambi nje kokuzama ukulala. Ukusingatha izinkinga ezinkulu noma izinselele ezifuna udle amathambo ekhanda ngaphambi nje kokuyolala kungaphazamisa ukuphumula komzimba okudingekile ukuze umuntu azumeke.
4. Qiniseka ukuthi ikamelo lakho linokuthula, limnyama, futhi uma kungenzeka, lipholile. Ngokuphathelene nomsindo, cabangela okunye ukuhlola okudumile okwenziwa kubantu abahlala eduze kwesikhumulo sezindiza abathi babengasawuzwa umsindo wezindiza. Lapho kuhlolwa indlela abalala ngayo, ubuchopho babo babuqopha zonke izindiza ezifikayo nezisukayo! Abacwaningi baphetha ngokuthi labo bantu abahlolwa babelala isikhathi esingaphansi kwesifanele ngehora ubusuku ngabunye kunabantu abahlala ezindaweni ezithule. Izinto zokuvala izindlebe noma ezinye izindlela zokunciphisa umsindo bezingabasiza kakhulu ukuba balale baphumule. Abanye baye bathola ukuthi umsindo ongaphazamisi (ochazwa njenganoma imuphi umsindo ophansi futhi obeleselayo), njengomsindo wesiphephetha-moya, wawusiza kakhulu uma kunesidingo sokuvala umsindo ongaphandle emgwaqweni.
5. Qaphela lapho uphuza imithi yokulala. Kunobufakazi obandayo bokuthi imithi eminingi yokulala iyalutha, iphelelwa amandla uma umuntu eqhubeka eyisebenzisa, futhi inemiphumela elimazayo. Le mithi, uma iwusizo, ingaba usizo lwesikhashana.
Njengoba ukucindezeleka kungase kubangele inkinga yokuqwasha, kucatshangwa ukuthi esinye isihluthulelo sokulala okunempilo siwukwenza isikhathi sangaphambi nje kokuba ulale sibe isikhathi esithule nesijabulisayo. Kungase kube usizo ukukhohlwa izinkinga zosuku wenze okuthile okujabulelayo, njengokufunda. Kusobala ukuthi sinenzuzo kakhulu iseluleko seBhayibheli: “Ningakhathazeki ngalutho, kodwa kukho konke izicelo zenu mazaziwe nguNkulunkulu ngomthandazo nangokunxusa kanye nokubonga; ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu . . . kuyolinda izinhliziyo zenu namandla enu engqondo.”—Filipi 4:6, 7.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 26, 27]
Eminye Imibono Evamile Eyiphutha
1. Ukuphuza iziphuzo ezine-caffeine kuyindlela engcono kakhulu yokuhlala uphapheme lapho ushayela ibanga elide.
Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi abashayeli bavame ukuzikhohlisa becabanga ukuthi baphapheme kunokuba kunjalo ngempela. Uma ungenakukugwema ukushayela ibanga elide ebusuku, kungcono ukuma ngezikhathi ezithile endaweni ephephile uthathe isihlwathi (semizuzu engu-15 kuya kwengu-30), kamuva bese uhambahamba noma ugijime ulule izingalo nemilenze.
2. Uma nginenkinga yokulala, ikhambi liwukuba ngithathe isihlwathi.
Mhlawumbe, kodwa ochwepheshe abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi kungcono ukulala isikhathi eside esinganqamuki njalo ngamahora angu-24. Isihlwathi sasemini (esivame ukuba yimizuzu engu-15 kuya kwengu-30) singakusiza uphaphame emini yantambama ngaphandle kokuphazamisa imijikelezo yakho yokulala isikhathi eside ebusuku. Kodwa ukuthatha isihlwathi phakathi namahora amane ngaphambi kokuyolala kungase kuphazamise ukuphumula okunempilo ebusuku.
3. Amaphupho esiwakhumbulayo yiwo asenza singaphumuli kahle.
Amaphupho (avame ukwenzeka ngesigaba se-REM) awuphawu lokuphumula okunempilo futhi avame ukwenzeka izikhathi ezine noma ngaphezulu phakathi nobusuku obuvamile lapho ulele. Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi amaphupho esiwakhumbulayo yilawo aye asiphaphamisa, mhlawumbe lapho esaqhubeka noma ngemva nje kokuba esephelile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iphupho elibi lingakwenza ukhathazeke bese kuba nzima ukuphinde uzumeke.
[Isithombe ekhasini 24]
Ukulala kahle ebusuku kukwenza uphaphame futhi usanguluke usuku lonke
[Isithombe ekhasini 25]
Ososayensi sebeyazi manje ukuthi ukulala kunemijikelezo nezigaba ezihlukahlukene
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
Qaphela lapho uphuza imithi yokulala
[Isithombe ekhasini 27]
Abantu ababhemayo banobunzima obukhulu bokuzumeka