The ancients often said that "the way of health preservation is to sleep first". The hour before falling asleep is often referred to as the "golden time for wellness", and this is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of it to maintain your body and mind. At this time, the human body is often in a relatively relaxed state, which is the most suitable for self-maintenance.
However, many of us don't pay enough attention to this and instead fall into some bad habits. Staying up late at work, eating and drinking before bed, and even falling asleep with anger and fatigue. In fact, these habits not only affect the quality of our sleep, but can also take a toll on our health.
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1 hour before bedtime is the "golden period" of physical recuperation
We all know that the hour before bed is our "time to get ready for bed", but did you know that this time is also a golden opportunity for your body to relax, adjust, and recover? If you use it wisely, it can have a long-term and profound impact on your health.
According to TCM theory, sleep quality depends largely on what we do before bed. Proper bedtime habits can not only improve sleep quality, but also benefit our internal organs and metabolism.
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Four common bad habits
First, we need to get rid of several bad habits that can affect sleep and health.
(1) Play with your phone before going to bed
Many people are accustomed to using mobile phones before falling asleep, but the blue light emitted by mobile phones interferes with the production of melatonin, which in turn impairs the quality of sleep. In addition, constant attention to the phone screen in dim or low-light environments is extremely detrimental to vision.
Therefore, it is recommended to turn off your phone as much as possible after 9 p.m. every night, or keep it away from your bedroom.
(2) Excessive food before bedtime
If you eat a lot of food when you are about to go to bed, it will affect your fall asleep because your stomach and intestines need time to digest, which will cause your stomach to work hard when you want to rest.
(3) Drink alcohol before bedtime
Many people think that drinking alcohol before going to bed helps them sleep, however, this effect is temporary, and the fatigue caused by alcohol is doubled when you wake up.
(4) Fall asleep with anger
If you get angry about something, it's a good idea to try to calm down before you fall asleep. When angry, your heart beats faster, your blood pressure rises, and you may even be "so angry that you can't sleep."
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Sticking to these few things before going to bed is the most healthy
So, what are some good bedtime habits to cultivate?
(1) Soak your feet: Before going to bed, you can prepare a foot basin with moderate temperature and soak your feet in warm water for 15~20 minutes.
By activating the acupuncture points on the soles of the feet, the foot blood vessels dilate, which helps blood circulation, thereby promoting the flow of qi and blood throughout the body, bringing relaxation and pleasure to the mind and body.
This dilates the blood vessels in the feet and stimulates blood circulation, allowing you to achieve a relaxed state before you fall asleep.
(2) Comb your hair: Gently comb your hair and massage your scalp before going to bed can not only help eliminate fatigue but also help improve sleep quality.
The steps are actually very simple. To start, you should comb from the front to the back, starting from the germinal line at the front of the head and working your way up to the roots of the hair at the back edge of the neck. At the same time, you can also use the fingertips of your fingers to massage or pat in circles on the scalp to help promote the circulation of qi and blood and improve the blood circulation of the scalp.
At the same time, it should be noted that the duration of grooming should be kept to about 10 minutes, as too long may make the head feel tired, which in turn will affect the quality of sleep.
(3) Drink water: When people are asleep, the water in the blood will decrease, and the viscosity of the blood will become higher. Drinking a small glass of warm water before bed can help us solve this problem and keep our blood flowing smoothly.
It is recommended to use plain water close to body temperature and avoid excessive heat and cold. The amount of disposable drinking water should be kept in the range of 100 to 200 ml and should not be excessive.
(4) Rubbing the abdomen: Finally, you can rub the abdomen before going to bed. First, lie flat on the bed, rub your hands together to generate heat, then place near the navel, and then gently rub around the navel in a clockwise motion for dozens of times. Kneading should be done with proper pressure to avoid applying too much force to prevent discomfort.
This action can help you speed up your metabolism so that your body can recover during sleep.
The above are the suggestions and methods I provide you with the golden regimen before bed, I hope it can help you. Remember, healthy lifestyle habits can help us have a better quality of life. Let's start today and take care of our bodies and our health.