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Paul is 33, single - and exhausted. Since his HIV diagnosis
four years ago he has had difficulty sleeping. He lies awake at night
with his mind going round. At home he tries distracting himself with TV
and the internet till he feels tired, but as soon as his head hits the
pillow he's wide awake again. Sleeping pills and exercise have helped,
and he finds he sleeps better on holiday.
His health is stable, and his viral load is low, but the stress of the
diagnosis is exhausting him. "I really miss
illustration by rose hardy
feeling relaxed and at peace rather than this perpetual
state of anxiety", he says.
The stress of HIV is exhausting, destructive and immunosuppressive. Some
would even argue that a diagnosis can stress the immune system more than
the virus itself.
One of the earliest signs of stress is the way it interferes with our
sleep, preventing us getting to sleep, giving us nightmares, and waking
us early in the morning. Restful sleep is crucial, though; this is the
only time our body has for repairing and recharging itself. It is essential
for self-healing and renewal.
What happens during sleep?
We fall asleep when we are relaxed, comfortable and at peace. When we
are asleep our body switches from red alert into a profound state of self-healing.
The heart rate decreases, blood pressure falls, and the breathing slows.
Muscles relax, lymph channel open, and lymphocytes - the white
cells of the immune system - flood our body, searching
for infections to eradicate.
Our CD4 count rises dramatically during deep sleep, and this is when our
immune strength
