Source: Dr. Liang's popular science
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"Your diarrhea isn't a general problem." Doctor Lao Li Tou said in a deep voice, "You have to check your condition carefully." ”
Early in the morning of the weekend, Li Jianguo climbed the mountain with a few old friends, and after returning home, he began to have diarrhea. His wife Wang Mei looked at him holding his stomach, her face was pale, and she couldn't help but be anxious: "Jianguo, have you eaten a bad stomach?" ”
Li Jianguo shook his head, recalling the scene of drinking tea and chatting with friends on the top of the mountain in the morning, and there seemed to be nothing wrong. In desperation, he went to the Municipal People's Hospital for medical treatment.
Doctor Lao Li Tou is an old doctor with more than 30 years of experience, and after listening to Li Jianguo's description, he immediately arranged various examinations. After some tossing, the inspection report came out, and Lao Li Tou frowned and looked at the results: "Jianguo, you don't just have a simple diarrhea problem, what time do you usually sleep?" ”
Li Jianguo was stunned, he is usually busy with work, he is a middle-level manager of a company, and it is common to work overtime until late at night every day, and he usually doesn't go to bed until more than eleven o'clock at night.
Lao Li Tou sighed: "Jianguo, you have gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by staying up late for a long time, and it has also affected other health problems. ”
It turned out that Li Jianguo usually had a lot of work pressure, worked overtime until late at night, and had to deal with some trivial matters after returning home, and often did not go to bed until more than 11 o'clock or even later. In the long run, his biological clock was already out of order, leading to today's diarrhea problem.
"What time should I go to bed?" Li Jianguo was puzzled.
Lao Li pushed his glasses and said with a smile: "Let me tell you, many people think that going to bed early and getting up early is the best, but in fact, the best time to sleep is not nine o'clock in the evening, nor eleven o'clock in the evening." ”
Science & Health: Optimal Sleep Time
Studies have shown that the body's biological clock is closely related to the Earth's rotation cycle. For most people, it is ideal to fall asleep between 10 and 11 p.m. During this time, the body's melatonin secretion peaks, which helps to fall asleep faster and have a higher quality of sleep.
Specifically, the best time to fall asleep is between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. This is because:
Regulation of the biological clock: The body's biological clock begins to signal sleep during this time, the body temperature drops, and melatonin levels rise, preparing for the deep sleep phase.
The Science of Sleep Cycles: Each sleep cycle is about 90 minutes, and falling asleep between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. ensures a deep sleep phase between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m., a critical period for the body to repair and regenerate.
Reduce health problems caused by staying up late: Staying up late for a long time can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and weakened immunity. A reasonable rest schedule can effectively reduce these health risks.
Improve gastrointestinal function: Sleeping late will affect the normal peristalsis and digestive function of the stomach and intestines, leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction. A reasonable amount of sleep helps the normal functioning of the stomach and intestines, reducing problems such as indigestion and diarrhea.
When Li Jianguo heard this, he secretly made up his mind that in the future, he must adjust his work and rest time and try to go to bed between half past ten and eleven o'clock in the evening.
Detailed version of the medical case study
In order to make Li Jianguo understand this better, Lao Li Tou told a real case:
Uncle Zhang, 65 years old this year, was an old accountant before retirement, and usually has a very regular work and rest time, going to bed at 9 o'clock in the evening and getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning. In recent times, he has always felt that he is not in a good mental state and often feels exhausted. After going to the hospital for an examination, it was found that his sleep quality was not high, and the main reason was that he went to bed too early and his biological clock was not fully adapted.
Lao Li Tou suggested that Uncle Zhang adjust his work and rest time a little, and fall asleep at about 10:30 every night, and after persisting for a period of time, Uncle Zhang's mental state improved significantly, and his body gradually regained his vitality.
This case shows that falling asleep too early or too late is not good for your health, and finding the best sleep time for you is the key.
Peculiarities of the elderly group
People over the age of 60 should pay more attention to this. As we age, the body's biological clock changes, and the elderly are generally prone to early awakening and sleep quality will also decline. Studies have shown that falling asleep between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. and waking up between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. are ideal schedules for older adults.
Improves memory and cognitive function: Proper sleep time helps older adults maintain a clear mind and good memory, reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Enhance immunity: High-quality sleep can enhance the immunity of the elderly and reduce the occurrence of infections and diseases.
Maintain cardiovascular health: Adequate sleep can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease, and protect heart health.
Relieve emotional stress: Good sleep can effectively relieve the emotional stress of the elderly, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve the quality of life.
Lao Li Tou also mentioned that many elderly people like to go to bed at 9 o'clock at night, but in fact, this may cause them to wake up at three or four o'clock in the morning, affecting the overall sleep quality. Therefore, it is very beneficial for the elderly to delay the time of falling asleep appropriately.
Conclusion: Derivative Problems and Analysis
After a period of adjustment, Li Jianguo gradually adapted to the new schedule and his health has improved significantly. However, Lao Litou's words made him think about another question: since the optimal sleep time is so important for health, is napping equally important for the elderly?
Health benefits of napping
Napping, especially for older adults, does have many health benefits:
- Increased alertness: A short nap can improve alertness and productivity in the afternoon, reducing feelings of fatigue.
- Promotes memory and learning: Napping helps with the consolidation of memories and the learning of new information, which is especially important for older adults to maintain cognitive function.
- Reduces the risk of heart disease: Studies have shown that taking a 30-minute nap a day can effectively reduce the risk of heart disease and protect heart health.
- Stress relief: Napping can relieve emotional stress, improve the emotional state of the elderly, and reduce anxiety and depression.
However, it is also important to pay attention to the time of napping, as too long a nap may affect the quality of sleep at night. Generally speaking, it is best to control the nap time between 20 and 30 minutes, so as to achieve the effect of rest without affecting the normal routine at night.
To sum up, a reasonable schedule includes not only the best time to fall asleep at night, but also the length and quality of naps. Only by comprehensively adjusting the work and rest time can we truly achieve the effect of promoting health.
What are your thoughts on this? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!