A few details that helped us to go to bed early and get up early

When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, we often mention "regular work and rest, go to bed early and get up early." What sustains our regular sleep? When we feel that it is easier said than done, what can be done to help us adjust our work and rest rules and develop such habits?

What does it do to maintain your sleep routine?

The human body has a system that works periodically and automatically regulates the circadian rhythm of our life activities, which is our biological clock. The central part that regulates the circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmphalus nucleus of our brain. In addition, there is a very important hormone, which is melatonin released by the pineal gland.

Under the direction of the brain, the various organs of the human body participate in the regulation of the biological clock. In the case of our complete freedom from external environmental interference, we can still maintain a certain biological rhythm in the body.

Man's inherent circadian rhythm cycle is about 24 hours and 11 minutes, which is longer than a day. However, the intensity of light outside, temperature, dietary rules and even life events may affect our circadian rhythms, making our work and rest laws in harmony with daily life.

Light is the most important factor in adjusting the circadian rhythm

If a person receives a lot of light in the first half of the night, his biological clock will be significantly delayed backwards, and the time for fatigue will be later. If a person is exposed to bright light in the middle of the night or early in the morning, it can cause the biological clock to advance, which will make it easier for us to get up early.

For example, if our bedroom curtains have good light shading performance, or if one day is cloudy and the light is poor in the morning, we are more likely to get up later. Conversely, if the sun shines into the house very early, we may not be able to sleep early in the morning.

A small way to go to bed early and get up early

Understanding these principles, we can naturally use some measures to help us adjust the biological clock and help us go to bed early and get up early.

1. Increase the intensity of lighting when you wake up, and replace with bedroom curtains with weak shading performance.

2. After noon, stop drinking tea, coffee, cola and other caffeinated beverages, and quit smoking and alcohol. Adjust your work schedule to reduce unnecessary activities before going to bed and avoid excessive excitement. Limit the brightness of the lights before going to sleep at night and turn off the lights early.

3. Step by step, stick to it for a long time, and let others help supervise it.

These methods are simple, safe, and do not require any medication, but they require us to stick to it for a long time to be effective.

Habit of sleeping late and getting up late, do you need to change?

There are also some people who are naturally prone to going to bed late and getting up late, or have developed the habit of sleeping late for other reasons, especially young people.

Some of them may go to bed after 2 a.m. and wake up naturally after 10 a.m. Medically speaking, this kind of work and rest time is obviously delayed backwards, but it is a very regular situation, which is called sleep phase delay disorder.

People with delayed sleep phase disorders may also have some mental disorders, such as depression and attention deficits. But a person who sleeps late and gets up late for a long time does not necessarily have any obvious damage to the function of body organs.

Therefore, sleep phase delay disorder, although it sounds like a "disease", does not necessarily need treatment. If these people can engage in some work with more flexible schedules, pay attention to developing a healthy lifestyle in other aspects, regular physical examinations, and can also maintain physical and mental health, and do not force themselves to go to bed early and get up early. In contrast, lack of sleep and irregular work and rest are more harmful to health and need our attention.

Everyone should be responsible for their own health and arrange their own time for study, work and recreation. Managers in all walks of life should also fully understand the health laws of people and reasonably arrange the schedule for employees to study and work every day.

Of course, some people are plagued by abnormal sleep rhythms, which bring many inconveniences to life, and these people may need to adjust their sleep rhythms under the guidance of doctors. There are also some medical treatments, such as time therapy, melatonin therapy, etc., which need to be carried out under the guidance of a specialist.

(Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital)

("Doctor's Suggestion: Heartfelt Words from More Than 100 Experts", Editor-in-Chief: Qiao Jie and Jin Changxiao, Third Hospital of Peking University, Courtesy of People's Medical Publishing House, issued by CCTV)