Uncle Li is a 7-year-old man who pays great attention to health on weekdays, exercises on time every day, and maintains good eating habits. In the past days, he would always fall asleep sitting on the sofa after lunch, sometimes sleeping until three or four o'clock. Over time, it becomes a habit. After a while, he found that his body experienced some discomfort, such as fatigue, poor energy and other symptoms.
He came to the hospital for some examinations, and found that his blood pressure, blood lipids and other indicators were elevated, and the doctor told him that this may be related to his frequent naps. The doctor told Uncle Li that after the age of 50, the time, frequency and method of napping need to be carefully chosen, otherwise it may have adverse effects on health.
Many people like naps and think that napping can improve the spirit and efficiency of the afternoon. However, the correct way and timing of naps is overlooked by many people. In fact, napping has a direct impact on our health and longevity.
Especially for those over the age of 50, their sleep quality gradually declines with age. Although they love their lunch breaks, few know the right way to nap. For people over the age of 50, there are three things that must be paid attention to, otherwise it will affect their health and longevity.
1. Time to sleep
As we age, the body's metabolism gradually slows down, and the body gradually becomes weaker and weaker, requiring more rest and sleep to restore physical strength. Especially people over the age of 50 are more likely to feel tired and sleepy, and need to take a moderate amount of rest and napping during the day. However, excessive napping time is not good for health, especially some bad napping habits, which may directly affect longevity and health.
People over 50 should not take long naps. While napping helps people relieve fatigue, too long can put the body into a deep sleep, resulting in a decrease in the quality of sleep at night. In addition, long naps can also affect the body's metabolism and metabolism, aggravating the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Therefore, people over 50 years old generally do not sleep more than 1 hour.
Don't nap too late. In general, the lunch break should be between 12 noon and 2 pm, which is the "low tide" of the human body and is suitable for lunch breaks and breaks. If the nap time is too late, it will cause difficulty falling asleep at night, which in turn will affect the quality of sleep at night.
Don't nap too much or too little. Too much nap time can easily lead to the body becoming lazy, making people more tired and lethargic. Too short a nap time does not achieve the purpose of restoring body energy, and it is easy to make people feel fatigued. Therefore, it is best for people over 50 years old to maintain a moderate nap time, generally between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
2. Sleeping posture
Sitting on the sofa for a nap may cause the cervical spine to be in a bad posture, and maintaining such a posture for a long time will increase the burden on the cervical spine, and it is easy to cause cervical spine diseases, such as cervical spondylosis, intervertebral disc herniation, etc. At the same time, sitting posture will also increase the burden on the lumbar spine, which is easy to cause lumbar spine diseases.
Napping at a table may weigh on the cervical and lumbar spine because this position requires long time for the neck and waist to bend. Such a posture will cause additional pressure on the cervical and lumbar spine, which can easily lead to cervical and lumbar spine diseases, such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, etc.
Many people have problems with their napping habits, especially for students and office workers. They usually solve napping problems at desks and desks. However, this long sleeping position can have a direct impact on our spine.
To reduce the risk of neck and spine damage, office workers can consider purchasing tools such as throw pillows or cervical relaxation pillows to maintain a comfortable sleeping position as much as possible.
Especially for people over 50 years old, because the neck and spine themselves are susceptible to external influences, if you do not pay attention to the napping position, it will cause irreversible damage to the body. Once these vital organs are damaged, it will pose a threat to our health and longevity.
Taking a nap is a great way to relax, but the right sleeping position is also crucial. Here's how to sleep in the afternoon.
First of all, it is best to lie on your back or side, which is conducive to relaxation and smooth breathing. Do not curl up and sleep, because this can easily lead to poor blood circulation in the body, and it is easy to cause joint and muscle pain and other problems.
Second, don't sleep too hard to allow yourself to be woken up at any time. This avoids taking too long naps and also keeps you awake and doesn't get tired.
In addition, try not to use your arms as pillows, because this can easily lead to excessive pressure on the shoulders and neck, causing pain. If you need to use a pillow, it is best to choose the right pillow so as not to cause physical discomfort.
3. Go to bed immediately after meals
Many people are used to rest or sleep immediately after eating, especially middle-aged and elderly people. However, this behavior is not good for health. Because sleeping immediately after meals may lead to acid reflux, it is easy to cause gastric acid esophagitis, gastritis and other gastrointestinal diseases. In addition, such sleep patterns may also cause sleep apnea syndrome, which in turn leads to cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Therefore, do not go to bed immediately after a meal, it is best to wait at least half an hour to give the body enough time to digest the food.
Proper napping has many benefits for the body, including the following:
Relieves fatigue: napping can effectively relieve physical fatigue, restore mental and physical strength, and improve work efficiency.
Promotes brain health: Napping can promote brain health, improve memory and learning ability.
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease: Napping can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve heart function, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Boost immunity: Taking a nap boosts immunity and improves the body's ability to fight disease.
Improve mood: Taking a nap can improve mood, reduce negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, and improve quality of life.