People's life, 1/3 of the time spent on sleep, sleep is very important to us, but the sharp increase in work pressure and external stimuli and temptations are too much, resulting in many people with insomnia problems. According to statistics, more than 300 million people on the mainland have insomnia problems, and this data is still rising. Insomnia not only exhausts us physically and mentally, but also causes many health problems such as obesity.
In order to better help people fall asleep and improve the quality of sleep, the Department of Sleep Medicine of Harvard Medical School has proposed 12 tips to help sleep, let's learn it together.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
Both caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that keep you awake, so avoid caffeinated things (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, and some painkillers) and cigarettes 4 to 6 hours before bedtime.
While alcohol may help with sleep, after a few hours it can also act like a stimulant, reducing the quality of our sleep. Therefore, it is best to control the amount of alcohol consumed per day within one to two drinks, and avoid drinking alcohol within three hours before bedtime.
Second, decorate the bedroom as a hypnotic environment
A quiet, dark and cool environment helps promote sleep. To achieve such an environment, earplugs or "white noise" devices can be used to reduce the volume of external noise; thick curtains, blackout curtains or eye masks can be used to block light; keep the room well ventilated, preferably between 15 and 25 °C, and ensure that mattresses and pillows are comfortable.
3. Relax an hour before bedtime
Do relaxing activities an hour before bedtime, such as taking a shower (body temperature rises and then decreases to increase drowsiness), reading a book, watching TV. Avoid stressful, stimulating activities. Physical and psychological stressful activity causes the body to secrete hormones and cortisols, which increase alertness and make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
Fourth, if you can't sleep, don't lie on the bed all the time
Trying to fall asleep can only lead to depression. If you still haven't fallen asleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing, such as reading or listening to music, until you're too tired to fall asleep.
Fifth, how to wake up in the middle of the night and continue to fall asleep
If you have trouble falling asleep after waking up in the middle of the night, you can get up and do some relaxing activities, such as reading or listening to music, and keep the lights dim until you have your eyelids drooping and you are ready to sleep, then go back to bed.
Sixth, natural light is very important
Natural light is good for maintaining a healthy body clock. So the first thing in the morning is to let the light in, and it is best to bask in the sun during the day.
7. Regulate the biological clock
Staying up and going to bed at the same time every day regulates our "biological clock" so that it's very easy to fall asleep during that time period of sleep. And try to stick to your daily routine on the weekends and maintain your body clock.
Take a nap early or not
Many people will have a short nap at noon, but for those who have trouble falling asleep or have trouble sleeping through the night, napping can be one of the culprits of insomnia because it reduces the motivation to sleep at night. If you want to take a nap, it should not be too long.
Don't eat dinner before going to bed
Eat dinner a few hours before bedtime and avoid foods that cause indigestion. If you're hungry at night, eat something that won't disturb your sleep, like milk.
10. Change your drinking habits
Drink enough water at night to avoid waking up thirsty, but don't drink too much, and don't drink before bed, or you'll wake up because you need to go to the bathroom.
11. Exercise early
Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better, but you must exercise at the right time. Exercises are best done three hours before bedtime.
XII. Persistence
The last tip is to follow the first 11 tips and stick to them so that your sleep gets better and better.
I believe that these twelve tips can help insomnia people to a greater or lesser extent.
Original link:
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips
Source: Time Faction
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