◎Four Elements of Scientific Sleep If calculated by eight hours of sleep per day, one third of a person's life is spent sleeping. The quality of sleep is closely related to one's physical and mental health. There are four elements of sleep that greatly affect the quality of sleep.
1. Sleeping Tools Whether it is a bed in the south or a kang in the north, when placing or building them, they should be placed in a north-south direction, so that when people sleep, their head faces north and feet face south, avoiding interference from the earth's magnetic field on the body. The hardness of the mattress should be moderate; too hard a mattress will make a person turn over frequently due to discomfort, making it difficult to fall asleep, and causing soreness all over the body after waking up; the pillow height is generally about the width of the sleeper's shoulder (about 10 centimeters), too low can easily cause cervical spondylosis. In summer, pillows should be aired frequently to prevent bacteria from entering the mouth and nose, increasing lung-related diseases.
2. Sleeping Posture People with heart disease should preferably sleep more on their right side to avoid putting pressure on the heart and increasing the risk of illness; those with headaches due to high blood pressure should appropriately elevate the pillow; respiratory patients, in addition to elevating the pillow, should also frequently change sides to facilitate the expulsion of phlegm; those with bloated stomachs and liver-gallbladder diseases should sleep on their right side; for those with pain in their limbs, they should avoid pressing on the painful areas while lying down. In short, choosing a comfortable and beneficial sleep position helps ensure sound sleep.
3. Sleep Time Generally, sleep time should be maintained at 7 to 8 hours, but this should not be forced and should be adjusted according to individual differences. Those who fall asleep quickly and deeply, generally dreamless or have few dreams, can fully restore energy after sleeping for 6 hours; those who take a long time to fall asleep and experience light sleep with frequent dreams may still feel unrefreshed even after sleeping for 10 hours, and should seek various treatments to obtain effective sleep. Simply extending sleep time is harmful to health. Since each person has different physiological rhythms, the timing of sleep should be arranged differently for each person! In fact, different physiological rhythms lead to two types of sleep patterns: "night owls" and "early birds." Adapting to these physiological rhythms can help improve work efficiency and quality of life, whereas going against them can harm health.
4. Sleep Environment The quality of sleep is closely related to the sleep environment. A temperature between 15 and 24 degrees Celsius can promote sound sleep. Smoke left from smoking after closing doors and windows in winter, as well as incompletely burned gas leaks, can also prevent sound sleep. People living near sources of high-frequency ionizing electromagnetic radiation who suffer from prolonged poor sleep without personal disease causes should consider moving farther away. In summary, if people can master the four elements of scientific sleep, they can effectively improve sleep quality and invest more energy into work. Scientific sleep is a new demand modern life poses to people.
◎How to Improve Sleep Quality Many things can affect sleep quality. Dr. Holger Hein, director of the Grosshansdorf Sleep Disorder Treatment Hospital in Germany, proposed six good suggestions to improve sleep quality.
1. Keep feet warm: Research results show that women with cold feet have poorer sleep quality than women whose feet are comfortably warm. Dr. Hein suggests sleeping with thick socks.
2. Do not open windows: Allergens that cause allergies and noise that affects sleep enter the bedroom through open windows. Dr. Hein suggests: sleep with the windows closed.
3. Do not clean in the evening: Cleaning agents used during cleaning and chemical cleaning agents may irritate the respiratory tract, thus affecting sleep. Dr. Hein suggests: only clean the bedroom in the morning.
4. Only place tulips in the bedroom: There should be no flowers in the bedroom, as they can cause allergic reactions. Dr. Hein suggests: only allow tulips in the bedroom, as tulips do not pose an allergy risk.
5. Remove makeup: Sleeping with makeup can lead to skin inflammation, and people who wear perfume at night should consider the possibility of triggering asthma.
6. Sleep 15 minutes more every day: Dr. Hein mentioned a new scientific research finding: women need 15 minutes more sleep than men every day.
Overcoming insomnia, psychological adjustment is most important. Please refer to the following methods:
1. Maintain a positive, content, and happy mindset. Have sufficient understanding of social competition and personal gains and losses, avoiding psychological imbalance caused by setbacks.
2. Establish a regular daily life routine, maintaining normal sleep-wake rhythm.
3. Create conditions conducive to falling asleep. For example, taking a hot bath, soaking your feet, drinking a glass of milk half an hour before bed. As long as these actions are consistently practiced, an "falling asleep conditioned reflex" can be established.
4. Moderate physical exercise during the day helps fall asleep at night.
5. Develop good sleep hygiene habits, such as keeping the bedroom clean, quiet, away from noise, and avoiding light stimulation; avoid drinking tea or alcohol before bed.
6. Self-regulation and self-suggestion. Engage in some relaxing activities, or repeatedly count numbers, sometimes slight relaxation can accelerate falling asleep.
7. Limit daytime sleep time. Except for elderly people who can take appropriate naps during the day, avoid napping or dozing off during the day, as this can reduce nighttime sleepiness and sleep time.
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