Hallucinations: Effect of Insomnia on the Brain

by Camila Seoane Argudin  

 

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects up to 35% of the adult population in the world.

It causes individuals difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep through the night. In most cases, it can be due to a disruption of the circadian rhythm - the biological clock of the human body's sleep-wake cycle - which can be caused by stress, trauma and anxiety, all of which have significant effects on the body, such as constant fatigue, weight gain, and mood swings. However, I will focus on what I consider to be the most intriguing and bizarre effect of insomnia: Hallucinations.

Sleep hallucinations are a major effect of chronic insomnia. They are vivid sensory experiences that occur when falling asleep or waking up. They are visual, auditory and tactile, which confuse the brain into believing we are actually experiencing these things. They are known to be intense and realistic, as a person wakes up believing they have experienced these hallucinations, as strange as they may be. A common hallucination is the feeling of falling and other movements, which may also be accompanied by other symptoms such as sleep paralysis, sleep talking and sudden feelings of panic. Many people have reported that these experiences were so real to them that they perceived sights and sounds that were not there, for example someone may see a person in their room, speaking to them, although they are alone and asleep. It is also common to see people, animals and objects moving around the room you are in, but why does this happen?

Well, the brain is responsible for our five primary sense, which are directly affected in hallucinations. For example, the primary visual cortex is active during hallucinations of coloured shapes because brain cells there are responsible for seeing lines and edges. There are also other brain cells that recognise cartoons, famous people and buildings that are activated both in real life and during visions of these subjects. Hallucinations in the form of voices involve several brain regions that are important for language, memory and emotions, including the amygdala and the hippocampus. 

How can we treat these hallucinations?

All treatments for sleep hallucinations involve treating chronic insomnia first. Like I've previously mentioned, these hallucinations are caused by anxiety, trauma and stress, so it's important to treat these conditions first as they are 'the root of the problem'. A common treatment is therapy and sleeping pills to help the individual sleep. Another common treatment is getting rid of any substances that may affect your sleep, such as caffeine and nicotine, so people with insomnia will avoid drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. 

Chronic insomnia is a condition affecting thousands of people around the world, and scientists are still confirming their research to truly understand the effects of this condition.