#长沙头条 ##湖南省第二人民医院#
In the past six months, Ms. Liao (pseudonym), a 58-year-old woman who lives in Huaihua, has difficulty falling asleep, sleeping shallowly, waking up easily, dreaming a lot, unable to lift her spirits, feeling tired easily, and experiencing symptoms such as dizziness and loss of appetite.
Accompanied by her family, Ms. Liao went to the Department of Sleep Disorders and Neurology of the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province (Hunan Brain Hospital). After a detailed examination and preliminary examination, Zeng Xianxiang, the director of the department and the chief physician, judged that Ms. Liao was suffering from insomnia.
Director Zeng Xianxiang introduced that insomnia, also known as sleep disorders, is mainly manifested in problems such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up early and poor sleep quality. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as psychological factors, environmental factors, lifestyle habits, physical diseases, drug side effects, etc.
Long-term insomnia not only affects people's daily life and work efficiency, but also can lead to a series of physical and mental health problems:
1. Physiological health hazards
1. Weakened immune system
People with insomnia often have their immune systems affected, resulting in reduced resistance and susceptibility to diseases.
2. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Long-term insomnia can lead to increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, etc.
3. Metabolic disorders
Insomnia may lead to endocrine disorders, affecting metabolic processes such as blood sugar and blood lipids, and increasing the risk of diabetes, obesity and other diseases.
4. Memory loss
People with insomnia may have their memory, concentration, and thinking skills affected, leading to a decrease in work and study efficiency.
2. Mental health hazards
1. Emotional problems
People with insomnia are prone to emotional problems such as anxiety and depression, which affect social and family relationships.
2. Mental disorders
Long-term insomnia can lead to the occurrence of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, etc.
3. Increased risk of suicide
People with severe insomnia may have suicidal thoughts.
3. Impact on quality of life
1. Fatigue and drowsiness
People with insomnia often feel tired and sleepy, affecting their daily life and work.
2. Reduce social activities
Insomnia can cause an individual's reluctance to participate in social activities, affecting relationships.
3. Increase the risk of accidents
Lack of concentration due to fatigue can increase the risk of accidents such as traffic accidents and work mistakes.
Ms. Liao has been discharged from the hospital after a week of TCM treatment in the Department of Sleep Disorders and Neurology: auricular pressure beans, ear tip bloodletting and acupoint application.
Director Zeng Xianxiang introduced that in addition to traditional Chinese medicine treatment and drug treatment, insomnia also needs to pay attention to the following three tips:
Tip 1: Sleep rhythms
Sleep rhythm can also be understood as the "biological clock".
The biological clock is the clock that regulates the body's daily life and rest, and it exists in the inside of the brain. When the human body is in different states and stages, the biological clock plays different roles.
For example, during work, the body clock will make your mind clearer, and during rest, the body clock will allow you to relax quickly and fall asleep.
The biological clock can be changed and cultivated through our own efforts. It is recommended to train by fixing the time of going to bed and getting out of bed. Stick to the same time when you go to bed and get out of bed every day, and over time, you will form your own internal biological clock.
For example, set the bedtime to be around 10:30 p.m. and the wake-up time to be around 6:30 a.m. No matter how good or bad your sleep is, whether you fall asleep or not, stick to this time of getting up and getting out of bed.
Tip 2: Sleep power
Sleep motivation is also known as sleep stress.
The more dynamic you are, the easier it is to fall asleep. If you don't have enough motivation to sleep, you won't be able to fall asleep easily. Sleep motivation is mainly related to two factors: the time spent awake and the amount of exercise. The longer you stay awake continuously, the more dynamic you will be to sleep, the easier it will be to fall asleep, and the deeper your sleep will be.
Therefore, no matter whether you sleep well or badly at night, you can't catch up on sleep during the day, and you can't take a nap, otherwise it will reduce sleep motivation and lead to insomnia. At the same time, you can't lie in bed to do things that are not related to sleep, such as lying in bed and looking at your mobile phone, watching TV, reading books, working, etc.
Moderate exercise can increase sleep motivation, and it is recommended to adhere to aerobic exercise every day, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, tai chi, climbing, doing exercises, etc. Exercise should be carried out during the day as much as possible, and strenuous exercise, smoking, and drinking should be avoided within 2 hours before bedtime.
Tip 3: Relax physically and mentally
Physical or psychological tension before going to bed can lead to insomnia.
With relaxation training, anxiety can be reduced, which promotes sleep. There are many methods of relaxation training, the more commonly used are progressive muscle relaxation, mindful breathing and other methods, collectively known as meditation exercises, and smoking and drinking should be avoided within 2 hours before bedtime.
According to the above three elements of sleep, a relatively simplified version of behavioral therapy can be summarized to help insomniacs improve sleep through actions.
Fix the time of going to bed and getting up every day: go to bed at 10:30 in the evening and get out at 06:30 in the morning; do not make up for sleep, do not take a nap, do not do things unrelated to sleep in bed during the day, do aerobic exercise for 1 hour during the day, and practice meditation for 1 hour a day, such as mindful breathing, etc. (at least need to persist for 3~4 weeks to have an effect).
Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zou Xiaohui, Department of Sleep Disorders and Neurosis, Hunan Provincial Second People's Hospital (Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital).
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(Edited YT.) Image source network, invaded and deleted)