Ukulala ngokulala kuyinkinga yokulala yomndeni wama-parasomnias. Kuyisimo esiphakathi phakathi kokulala okujulile nokuvuka. Ukuquleka kwenzeka kaningi phakathi kwamahora amathathu okuqala ngemuva kokulala: ingane ingavuka embhedeni wayo, izulazule endlini ngokubheka okufiphele, yenze izinkulumo ezingahambelani… Kulinganiselwa ukuthi u-3% wezingane ezineminyaka ephakathi kwemine nengu-15 ubudala kuncike ku-episodic sleepwalking kanye ne-4 kuye ku-12% njalo ngeziqephu eziningana ngenyanga. Yize kungakatholakali izimbangela ngqo zalesi sifo, kunezici ezithile ezibonakala zivuna ukuqala kokuquleka. Ukubhala ngemfihlo.

Ukuthambekela kofuzo kungaba yinto evelele. Eqinisweni, ezinganeni ezingama-80% ezihamba zingalali, umlando womndeni wabonwa. Ingozi yokuhamba ngokulala ngakho-ke iphindwe izikhathi eziyishumi uma omunye wabazali ethula ukulingana kokulala ebuntwaneni. Ithimba labaphenyi abavela eNyuvesi yaseGeneva likhombe isakhi sofuzo esidala lesi sifo. Ngokusho kocwaningo, abathwali balesi sakhi kungenzeka kakhulu kunabanye ukuthi bathinteke.

Kodwa-ke, cishe isigamu sabantu bokulala ababonayo babengezona izithwali zalesi sakhi, ngakho-ke isizathu sokuphazamiseka kwakukuzo ezazinemvelaphi ehlukile. Isici sofuzo noma kunjalo sihlala siyimbangela evame kakhulu.

Njengoba ukulala ngezinyawo kuvame kakhulu ezinganeni kunakubantu abadala, kubhekwa ukuthi kunokuhlobana nokukhula kobuchopho. Imvamisa yeziqephu ivame ukwehla njengoba ingane ikhula, ezimeni ezingama-80% lesi sifo sizonyamalala ngokuphelele lapho sithomba noma sesikhulile. Kuphela ama-2-4% wabantu abadala abanenkinga yokulala. Ochwepheshe ngakho-ke bakholelwa ukuthi kunezimbangela ezixhumene nokuvuthwa kobuchopho kanye noshintsho emigqeni yokulala ngesikhathi sokukhula.

Ukucindezeleka nokukhathazeka nakho kungezinye zezici ezincoma ukuquleka. Izingane ezinalesi sifo zingaba neziqephu zokuhamba ngesikhathi sokukhathazeka noma zilandele umcimbi ocindezelayo.

Ukungalali ngokwanele noma ukuvuka njalo ebusuku kungakhuphula nobungozi bokuhamba ngokulala. Ezinye izingane zizobhekana neziqephu zokulala kulandela ukucindezelwa kwe-naps, into ephazamisa indlela yokulala kwengane okwesikhashana. Lapho isixhumanisi esiphakathi kokumisa ukulala nobuningi bokuhlaselwa kwabantu obuthongo sitholakele, kungakuhle ukuthi ubuyise ubuthongo okwesikhashana. Lokhu kuzogwema ukulala kakhulu phakathi nengxenye yokuqala yobusuku, okungakhuthaza ukuqala kokuquleka.

Ezinye izimbangela zingaholela ekulimaleni kokulala futhi zibangele iziqephu zokuhamba, kufaka phakathi:

• ikhanda;
• i-apnea yokulala;
• isifo semilenze esingenakuphumula (RLS);
• izifo ezithile ezithathelwanayo ezibangela ukuqhuma komkhuhlane;
• izidakamizwa ezithile zokuthambisa, ezikhuthazayo noma ze-antihistamine.

Isiqephu sokulala ngezinye izikhathi singadalwa yisinye esigcwele ngokweqile esihlukanisa umjikelezo wokulala kwengane. Ngakho-ke kunconywa kakhulu ukunciphisa iziphuzo kusihlwa ezinganeni ezinesifo.

Ezinye izinto ezaziwayo zokuhamba ngokulala zifaka:

• izingane ezijwayele ukuhamba ngokulala zibonakala zinokuquleka okwengeziwe endaweni entsha noma enomsindo, ikakhulukazi lapho zihamba noma ziya eholidini;
• ukusebenza okukhulu komzimba ekugcineni kosuku nakho kubonakala ukuphazamisa ukulala futhi ngibe lapho kuvela khona izinkinga;
• futhi akunconywa ukuthi uveze ingane emisindweni enkulu noma ekuthintaneni ngokomzimba ngesikhathi sokulala ukuze ingacasuli ukuvuka komuntu olele.

Ukunciphisa ubungozi nokunciphisa inani leziqephu, kubalulekile ukuqinisekisa indlela yokuphila enempilo nokulala ezinganeni ezithanda ukulala. Nazi izincomo eziyinhloko ezinciphisa izinto ezinikelayo:

• setha inkambiso yansuku zonke ezinzile futhi engabikezelwa ezokhuthaza ukulala kwekhwalithi engcono;
• thanda umoya opholile noqinisekisayo womndeni, ikakhulukazi ekupheleni kosuku;
• (re) ukwethula umkhuba opholile wakusihlwa (indaba, ukuphumuza ukubhucungwa, njll.) okuzovumela ingane ukuthi ikhulule ukungezwani kosuku futhi ikhuthaze ukulala okusezingeni;
• ukuqeda imidlalo ethokozisayo nokusebenza kanzima komzimba ekupheleni kosuku;
• vimbela ukusetshenziswa kwezikrini okungenani amahora ama-2 ngaphambi kokulala ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukulala nekhwalithi yokulala ezinganeni;
• yenza i-Ukugcina iziphuzo ezeqile ekugcineni kosuku ukugcina ukulala nokugwema ukuvuka;
• ezinganeni ezinokuqubuka kokulala ngemuva kokumisa isithongwana, ukuphinda ubuyise isihlwathi kwesinye isikhathi kuzosiza ukuvimbela ukuquleka.