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At 3 o'clock in the morning, it was still so dark that he couldn't see his five fingers, but Lao Zhang woke up again. He hadn't had a good night's sleep in recent times.
Before retiring, Lao Zhang was busy with work, he slept in bed every night, and when he slept until dawn, his wife laughed at him: even if the sky fell, it might not wake up his sweet dreams.
But since his retirement, Lao Zhang's sleep has become worse and worse, often going to bed early and tossing and turning before falling asleep, and waking up groggy after a few hours of sleep, making it difficult to fall asleep again. He has always believed in "8 hours of sleep", believing that people must sleep enough for 8 hours to regain their body's energy, especially at his age.
However, after waking up, it is difficult to fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed, and even if I finally fall asleep, I wake up very tired.
This situation lasted for a long time, he woke up early while not sleeping well, and on the other hand, he was anxious that sleeping would not hurt his body enough, so a vicious circle was formed, and it was even more difficult to fall asleep. Lao Zhang was also tired because of this, and sighed all day long.
1. What is the best sleep time of 8 hours? Not necessarily!
When it comes to the "best sleep time", many people's first reaction is 8 hours, however, there are also many people who report that 8 hours is not enough sleep at all, and they need longer sleep time to get enough rest. So, how long should I sleep in a day to be healthy, and is 8 hours really the ideal time to sleep?
To answer this question, we must first understand the original origin of the "8-hour sleep theory". Marx pointed out in Capital that workers in Western capitalist countries worked 10~11 hours a day without weekends, which led to a serious lack of sleep time for workers and frequent work accidents caused by fatigue. Therefore, European and American workers put forward the slogan of "8 hours of work, 8 hours of leisure, 8 hours of sleep", so the "8-hour sleep theory" came into being.
It can be seen that the 8-hour sleep theory was proposed at the beginning, mainly to improve sleep efficiency. However, just as everyone eats differently, the amount of sleep varies from person to person. Therefore, instead of generalizing, we should determine the amount of sleep that is right for us based on individual differences.
In 2021, a sub-journal of the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study titled "The Relationship Between Sleep Time and Mortality in East Asian Populations". The researchers collected data from 320,000 Asian populations and found a "J-shaped association" over nearly 14 years of follow-up.
For Asian populations, the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and death from other causes is lowest when they sleep for 7 hours. When the sleep time reaches 8 hours, it increases the risk of death from some diseases.
In this regard, Jin Ling, chief physician of the Sleep Medicine Center of Nanjing Brain Hospital in Jiangsu Province, said that there are significant individual differences in sleep duration, and various indicators (such as sleep duration, number of wake-ups, and time to fall asleep) are relative. To fully assess the quality of sleep, it should be judged in conjunction with the state of the next day's wake-up.
Dr. Jin Ling emphasized that if you wake up feeling fully rested and energetic, and there is no obvious burnout Xi working and studying during the day, then you can be considered to have received sufficient sleep at night.
Therefore, we don't have to worry too much about whether or not to pursue 8 hours of sleep per night. Individualized feelings are the most important sleep assessment indicator, and each person can adjust and optimize their sleep Xi according to their own situation.
2. After the age of 65, how long does it take to sleep a day?
As people age, their sleep structure changes, and the need for sleep time varies from age to age.
Sun Hongqiang, chief physician of the Department of Psychiatry at Peking University Sixth Hospital, pointed out that for the elderly over 65 years old, it is recommended to ensure adequate sleep of 7-8 hours per night. In addition, he stressed that the elderly should pay special attention to improving sleep quality to maintain good health.
In addition, the National Sleep Foundation has made recommendations for sleep duration for different age groups. We can use the following table to find out how much sleep is appropriate for our age.
Source: Endocrinology Channel in the medical community
Adequate and high-quality sleep is essential for maintaining good health. Xie Yulan, deputy chief physician of the Department of General Internal Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, pointed out that the importance of sleep is mainly reflected in the following three aspects:
1. Eliminate fatigue and restore physical strength
During sleep, the gastrointestinal tract and related organs synthesize and produce energy substances that are needed for daily activities. In addition, body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure decrease, respiratory and part of endocrine decrease, basal metabolic rate is reduced, and it contributes to the recovery of physical strength.
2. Protect the brain and restore energy
Lack of sleep can lead to irritability, agitation, listlessness, and loss of concentration and memory. On the contrary, adequate sleep can protect the brain, improve energy, think more quickly, and work more efficiently. During sleep, the oxygen consumption of the brain is greatly reduced, which is conducive to the energy storage of brain cells.
3. Enhance immunity and heal the body
Sleep helps to enhance the body's ability to produce antibodies, improve immunity, and fight off various antigenic substances that invade. In addition, sleep can also speed up the self-healing process of various tissues and organs. At present, sleep is also regarded as a treatment method in clinical practice, which can help patients get through the most difficult period of the disease and promote recovery.
3. Insomnia in the elderly and can't sleep? 6 ways to help you sleep well
According to the China Sleep Research Report (2022), sleep problems are common among the elderly. Among the elderly, 42% of them fell asleep for more than half an hour, the insomnia rate was as high as 21%, and 9.7% of the elderly self-rated sleep quality was very poor. In contrast, only 4.2% of young people rated their sleep quality as very poor.
In this regard, Chen Chen, chief physician of the Department of Neurology of Shanxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Hospital, provided some practical methods:
1. Learn to make melatonin fluctuations
Maintain a sleep-friendly bedroom environment with a quiet, dark room temperature of around 20°C and blackout curtains. Too much light may reduce melatonin secretion and affect sleep quality. Waking up in the morning opens the curtains to create melatonin fluctuations that help the body adapt to the changes of the day and night.
2. Don't eat too late for dinner
Try to avoid late-night snacks and don't eat dinner too late. Eating too late can cause blood sugar to rise, increase feelings of excitement and make it more difficult to fall asleep. If you're hungry at night, you can choose to drink a glass of warm milk instead of eating foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates.
3. Exercise appropriately every day
Moderate exercise every day is beneficial to the control of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and the "three highs". But be careful not to do strenuous exercise before bedtime, preferably three hours in advance. Exercise helps relax the body, but being overly excited before falling asleep can make it difficult to fall asleep.
4. Do something relaxing before bed
Do some relaxing activities before falling asleep, such as taking a hot bath, reading, etc., instead of playing your phone or playing games. It is recommended to set the mobile phone to be silent at night and put it in the living room to maintain a peaceful environment.
5. Maintain a daily body clock
It is very important to have a regular sleep schedule, go to bed and wake up at a fixed time every day, even on weekends. The stability of the biological clock is essential for improving sleep problems.
6. Try meditation if you can't sleep
If you can't sleep in bed, try meditation. Putting aside the clutter of your mind and imagining basking in the sun on the beach, enjoying the view, or even counting sheep are some meditation methods you can try. This is a common method used by psychologists to help relax the body and mind and promote sleep.
On the whole, the sleep problem of the elderly is an important health issue that deserves attention and is worth solving. However, due to individual differences, older people still need to be individualized when choosing the method that is right for them, and seek professional medical advice when needed. In life, through good living Xi habits and scientific adjustments, the elderly can be provided with better sleep and promote physical health and psychological well-being through good living habits and scientific adjustments.
Resources:
[1] "The "best sleep duration" is not "8 hours"?
[2] "There are 5 standards for good sleep!All of them can prolong life by 5 years compared to others!", Health Times.2023-02-28
[3] "Sleep is related to the health of the whole body, and there are "five taboos" if you want to sleep well!", Health Times.2023-07-31
[4] "The "Best Time to Sleep" is released!Sleep more and sleep less will lose your life, the key is to grasp these times!", Health Times.2023-07-18
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