Introduction: How long have you not experienced the beauty of a good night's sleep? Whenever in the dead of night, the slightest wind and grass moves, you will wake up from a dream like a frightened bird, and then toss and turn, unable to fall asleep again.
Do you often feel inexplicably anxious, stressed, and unable to sleep quietly when night falls? Insomnia, although not a serious illness, is enough to make people feel painful.
Sleep, a physiological process that occupies one-third of our lives, is closely linked to our health, just like sunlight and air. However, in today's busy times, it seems that more and more people are stuck in sleep.
Back in 2019, the People's Daily revealed that there were already 200 million insomnia patients in the mainland, and in 2022, this number has climbed to 300 million. What's even more surprising is that the "China Sleep Index Report" pointed out that the average sleep duration of the population is only 6.92 hours, and the proportion of people who often suffer from insomnia is as high as 36.1%.
Among them, the sleep problems of young people are particularly serious, 69.3% of young people are accustomed to falling asleep after 23 o'clock in the middle of the night, and many of them are suffering from difficulty falling asleep.
We need to face up to the problem, understand its root causes, and find solutions. Because only when we truly grasp the mystery of sleep can we have a healthy and happy life.
What are the factors that affect sleep quality?
environmental factors
The environment we live in has a direct impact on our sleep. A quiet, comfortable, and temperature-friendly environment helps us fall into deep sleep faster. Noise, lights that are too bright or dim, too high a temperature or too low a temperature can all cause us to have difficulty falling asleep or not sleeping deeply.
Psychological stress
The fast pace of modern life, work pressure, life pressure, etc. may bring us psychological pressure, which in turn affects our sleep quality. Long-term psychological stress can lead to sleep problems such as insomnia, dreaminess, and easy awakening.
Lifestyle habits
Lifestyle habits can also affect the quality of our sleep. For example, overeating at night, drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee or tea, and using electronic devices before bed can affect our sleep. Regular work and rest times, proper exercise, and good eating habits all help to improve our sleep quality.
Health status
Some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, etc., as well as some mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, etc., can affect the quality of our sleep. Therefore, maintaining good physical health and a good mental state is very important to improve the quality of sleep.
interpersonal relationship
The quality of our relationships can also affect the quality of our sleep. Tension in relationships with partners, family members, or co-workers can affect our sleep by causing us to feel restless or anxious before bed. Good relationships may bring us more peace of mind and comfort, which can help us sleep better.
Many people are fooled by the 8-hour sleep theory?
The 8-hour sleep theory, which is deeply believed by the majority of the population, still occupies an important place in society today. Many people will stop at nothing to get this so-called "ideal" amount of sleep.
However, should we be skeptical of this claim? In fact, the rigor of this conclusion is debatable.
Everyone's lifestyle and physical fitness are unique, so the 8-hour sleep theory is not for everyone. No matter what age group we are in, this theory may not fully fit our actual needs.
In real life, it is not difficult to find that some people have sleep disorders, such as neurasthenic patients, who often suffer from insomnia.
For these populations, it is difficult to achieve the so-called 8 hours of sleep, even if they try to improve their sleep through self-regulation and medical interventions. Therefore, when it comes to regulating sleep, we should be more flexible and individualized, rather than blindly pursuing the claim of 8 hours of sleep.
In conclusion, the need for sleep varies from person to person and should not be rigidly limited to the figure of 8 hours. We should reasonably adjust our sleep time according to the actual situation and needs of the individual to achieve the best sleep effect.
What is the best amount of sleep after the age of 50?
Professor Feng Jianfeng and a team of young researchers from Fudan University's Institute of Brain-inspired Intelligence Science and Technology recently published a paper on the relationship between sleep and cognitive function and mental health in Nature Aging, a subsidiary of Nature.
Using big data analysis, they conducted an in-depth study of the genetic, brain image and behavioral data of nearly 500,000 people, revealing the non-linear relationship between sleep duration and cognitive function and mental health in middle-aged and elderly people.
Among them, the most striking finding is that for people over the age of 50, 7 hours of sleep a day may be the most beneficial for health.
Sleeping too long or too little can lead to an increased risk of cognitive decline and mental health problems compared to this golden amount of sleep. This finding provides us with a new perspective on the important role of sleep in maintaining the physical and mental health of middle-aged and older people.
In addition to this, studies have also highlighted the impact of time to sleep on health. On November 9, 2021, a research team from the British company Huma Medical published another research paper in the European Heart Journal-Digital Health, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), which pointed out a strong link between sleep onset time and cardiovascular disease risk. They found that people who fell asleep between 10 and 11 p.m. were associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
In contrast, people who fell asleep after midnight, 11-12 p.m. and before 10 p.m. were at 25 percent, 12 percent and 24 percent higher risk, respectively. This risk association is even more pronounced in women, which is a reminder that we need to pay more attention to women's sleep health.
Through these two studies, we can see the importance of sleep for cognitive function and cardiovascular health. It is not just a simple physiological need, but a key factor that affects our physical and mental health. Therefore, we should pay attention to sleep and arrange our work and rest time reasonably to ensure that we can get enough quality sleep every day to maintain our cognitive function and cardiovascular health.
Is dreaming all the time while sleeping an early warning of illness?
Dreaming a lot while sleeping does not necessarily mean that you have a disease, as everyone dreams while sleeping. Dreams are produced when the brain is active during the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage, and they can be vague, difficult to interpret, or sometimes even vivid and real.
However, if you find that your dreams are becoming unusually frequent, disturbing, or interfering with your daily life, then it could be a sign that something is wrong with your body or mind.
Some common causes may include psychological problems such as anxiety, stress, depression, etc. These problems can cause your brain to become overactive during sleep, producing more dreams. In addition, the intake of certain drugs, caffeine, alcohol, and other substances may also affect the quality of sleep, leading to increased dreams.
However, there are some diseases that can also cause frequent dreams, such as sleep apnea syndrome, restless legs syndrome, etc. These disorders can affect the quality and depth of sleep, which can lead to more dreams.
Therefore, if you find that your dreams become unusually frequent or disturbing, it is best to see a doctor or psychologist to rule out any health problems that may be causing the increase in dreams.
How long do you sleep and how do you sleep to be healthy?
The China Sleep Research Report reveals a thought-provoking phenomenon: mainland people are facing severe challenges in their sleep duration. According to the report, the average daily sleep duration of Chinese is only 7.06 hours, a significant decrease of nearly 1.5 hours from a decade ago.
However, the good news is that the latest data shows a positive trend, with the average sleep duration already back up to 7.40 hours. Not only that, but a study published in the August issue of the journal Sleep Health provides us with a more nuanced look.
The study, which involved 6,052 participants, found that those who slept for an erratic period of time, had large fluctuations in sleep onset times, and had significant differences in sleep on weekdays and weekends had a much higher biological age than those with stable sleep habits, up to a staggering nine months. This finding is a strong reminder that the importance of regular sleep should not be overlooked.
So, how can we achieve regular sleep? The answer lies in our daily habits. Of course, regular sleep isn't set in stone. The need for sleep is also different for different age groups.
For example, adolescents (14-17 years old) need 8-10 hours of sleep to support physical development and learning;
Young adults (18-25 years old) and adults (26-64 years old) are recommended to get 7-9 hours of sleep;
For the elderly (over 65 years old), 7-8 hours of sleep is more appropriate.
Therefore, in order to stay healthy, we should arrange our sleep time reasonably and cultivate good sleep habits according to our age and needs. Only in this way can we find balance in our busy lives and achieve harmony and harmony between our physical and mental health.
Do these 5 points well, and you can sleep until dawn
Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Try to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This can help adjust your body clock and allow your body to gradually adapt to a stable sleep pattern.
Create a comfortable sleeping environment
Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool, with a comfortable bed and pillows and comforters that suit your needs. Avoid using electronic devices in bed, as the blue light emitted by the screen can interfere with your sleep.
Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime
For example, avoid watching horror movies, playing exciting games, or doing intense work. One hour before bedtime, try to do some light activities such as reading, listening to music, meditating, etc.
Be mindful of what you eat
Avoid being overly full or hungry before bedtime, which may affect your sleep. At the same time, minimize your caffeine and alcohol intake, as both of these substances may interfere with your sleep.
Gakkai Homatsu Self
Before bedtime, try to do some relaxing activities such as deep breathing, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, etc. These activities can help you relax and prepare for a good night's sleep.