Early in the morning, Lao Wang walked slowly into the community hospital on crutches
What's going on?" As soon as Xiao Li, the doctor on duty, saw Lao Wang, he hurried to catch up
Lao Wang smiled bitterly and said: "Don't mention it, I accidentally broke my foot when I was walking yesterday, but it's strange to say, I always feel tired lately, and I don't sleep well,"
Dr. Xiao Li carefully examined Lao Wang's ankle, and listened to him describe his recent physical condition, and nodded thoughtfully: "Lao Wang, your situation is not simple, do you know?" The length of a person's life is really closely related to the quality of sleep."
Lao Wang suddenly became interested: "Oh? Can this sleep also show the length of life? Doctor Li, you have to tell me about it,"
Dr. Li smiled and said, "Then let's start from the beginning.
Sleep quality is not only related to our mental state, but also an important indicator of physical health, scientific research has found that people with poor sleep quality for a long time often have a shorter average life expectancy than people who sleep well
A 25-year follow-up study by the University of California, United States, showed that among people over 65 years old, those who often wake up in the middle of the night or have nightmares have a higher risk of chronic diseases and may have a shorter life expectancy of 3-5 years
"So serious?" Lao Wang asked in surprise, "Then I haven't slept well recently, won't I have to live a few years less?"
Dr. Xiao Li comforted: "Don't worry, let's analyze it slowly, you have to understand why sleep quality affects lifespan,"
Sleep is more important to the human body than we think, and when we fall into deep sleep, the body initiates a series of repair mechanisms:
1. The immune system is active and removes harmful substances from the body; n2. Accelerated cell repair and regeneration; n3. The brain is "cleansed" and metabolic waste is expelled; n4. Balance hormonal secretion and regulate metabolism; n5. Memory organization and consolidation to promote learning ability
If the quality of sleep is poor for a long time, these important functions will be affected, immunity will be reduced, the risk of inflammation will increase, and various chronic diseases will easily come to the door
Lao Wang nodded again and again when he heard this: "I see! So how do I judge the quality of my sleep?"
Dr. Li explains: "Generally speaking, people with poor sleep quality will have these manifestations:"
1. Difficulty falling asleep, lying in bed tossing and turning and difficulty falling asleep; n2. Sleepy and easily awakened by sound or light; n3. Frequent awakenings in the middle of the night, making it difficult to fall asleep again; n4. waking up early, waking up earlier than usual and being unable to fall asleep again; n5. Nightmares or dreams that are too real; n6. Feeling tired and lacking energy after waking up; n7. Daytime sleepiness and difficulty concentrating
"In this way, I seem to have several of them," said Wang with a wry smile, "then how can I improve my sleep quality?"
Dr. Xiao Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, there are actually many ways to improve sleep, I will give you a few suggestions:"
1. Maintain a regular schedule: go to bed and wake up at a fixed time every day, even on weekends.
2. Create a comfortable sleeping environment: Keep the bedroom quiet, dark and cool, choose comfortable mattresses and pillows;
3. Avoid irritation: Don't drink coffee and tea 2-3 hours before bedtime, and watch less mobile phones and TV;
4. Relaxation: Before going to bed, you can do some gentle yoga or meditation and listen to soft music;
5. Moderate exercise: Do moderate exercise during the day, but avoid strenuous exercise 3 hours before bedtime;
6. Control your diet: Don't eat too late or too much, and drink a glass of warm milk before going to bed;
7. White noise: You can try to use white noise to help you sleep, such as the sound of rain, waves, etc.;
8. Aromatherapy: Use essential oils such as lavender and chamomile to help you relax and fall asleep;
9. Phototherapy: Exposure to natural light during the day helps regulate the biological clock;
10. Cognitive-behavioral therapy: through psychological intervention, change the misconception of sleep
Lao Wang nodded again and again when he heard this: "It turns out that there are so many things to pay attention to improving sleep, but you said that sleep is related to lifespan, what is the specific relationship?"
Dr. Xiao Li explained: "This problem is very good, sleep affects life expectancy, mainly reflected in the following aspects:"
1. Cardiovascular health: Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to increased blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease and stroke;
2. Metabolic function: Lack of sleep can affect insulin sensitivity and increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes;
3. Immune function: Quality sleep can enhance immunity and reduce the risk of infection and cancer;
4. Cognitive performance: Adequate sleep helps maintain brain health and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease;
5. Mood regulation: Good sleep can improve mental health and reduce the risk of depression and anxiety;
6. Cell repair: deep sleep promotes cell regeneration and delays the aging process;
7. Hormone balance: sleep regulates the secretion of growth hormone, melatonin and other hormones, and affects metabolism;
8. DNA repair: DNA repair activity is enhanced during sleep, reducing the risk of gene mutation;
9. Weight control: Lack of sleep can affect appetite regulation and increase the risk of obesity;
10. Accident Risk: Lack of sleep leads to decreased concentration, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries
I didn't expect sleep to be associated with so many health problems!" Lao Wang exclaimed, "Then I usually dream a lot, does it mean that the quality of sleep is not good?"
"Dreaming itself is normal, but if you often have nightmares or dreams that are too real, it can indeed affect the quality of sleep, which may be due to stress, anxiety or certain diseases," Dr. Xiao Li explained.
"So how can I reduce my nightmares?" Lao Wang asked
Dr. Lee advises:
1. Reduce stress: learn relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, etc.;
2. Regular work and rest: maintain a fixed sleep time and avoid staying up late;
3. Relax before bedtime: listen to soft music, read, etc., and avoid stimulating activities;
4. Improve the sleeping environment: keep the bedroom quiet, dark, and cool;
5. Moderate exercise: Do moderate exercise during the day, but avoid strenuous exercise before bedtime;
6. Control your diet: Don't eat too late or too greasy, and avoid drinking alcohol before bed;
7. Psychological counseling: If the nightmare persists, you can seek help from a psychologist;
8. Record dreams: Keep a diary to record dreams to help understand potential stressors;
9. Imagination training: imagine beautiful scenes before falling asleep to guide the direction of dreams;
10. Medication assistance: In severe cases, sleep improvement drugs should be used under the guidance of a doctor
Lao Wang suddenly realized: "So that's the case!" Looks like I'm going to have to adjust my routine, but do you think these methods work for young people too?"
Dr. Li smiled: "Of course! In fact, it is very important to maintain good sleep habits regardless of whether you are young or old, and although young people are full of energy, they cannot ignore the quality of sleep,"
He further explained that in modern society, many young people often stay up late or have poor sleep quality due to work pressure and fast pace of life, which not only affects work efficiency in the long run, but also may bury hidden health risks
Studies have shown that young people with long-term sleep deprivation have a 50% increased risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to many chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes
Lack of sleep can also affect young people's ability to regulate their emotions, increase the risk of psychological problems such as depression and anxiety, and may even affect fertility and reduce sperm quality and egg count
Sleep problems are so serious!" Lao Wang sighed, "Then I have to tell my son quickly and let him pay attention to his work and rest,"
Dr. Xiao Li nodded: "That's right, good sleep habits should be cultivated from an early age, but don't be too anxious, adjust your schedule step by step, and remember that sleep quality is more important than sleep duration,"
He suggested that Lao Wang can start from the following aspects:
1. Sleeping environment: purchase comfortable mattresses and pillows, and use blackout curtains;
2. Bedtime habits: Develop relaxing bedtime rituals, such as soaking your feet and listening to soft music;
3. Dietary adjustment: Have a light dinner, avoid drinking alcohol or eating too much before bedtime;
4. Exercise arrangement: moderate exercise, but avoid strenuous exercise 3 hours before bedtime;
5. Light management: Exposure to natural light during the day and blue light exposure at night;
6. Stress management: learn stress reduction techniques such as meditation and deep breathing;
7. Regular work and rest: Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule, including weekends;
8. Take a short nap: take a 15-30 minute lunch break and avoid more than 45 minutes;
9. Sleep monitoring: You can use devices such as smart bracelets to monitor sleep quality;
10. Regular physical examinations: Pay attention to sleep-related health indicators, such as blood pressure and blood sugar
I couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect to have so much knowledge after sleeping, Dr. Xiao Li, you really let me know a long time today!"
Dr. Li said with a smile: "Sleep is indeed a complex topic, but as long as you stick to good habits, I believe you will soon be able to improve your sleep quality and improve your quality of life."
Lao Wang felt that the whole person was much lighter, and he decided to seriously adjust his work and rest from today onwards, and pay attention to his sleep quality, after all, a good sleep is not only about mental state, but also may affect the length and quality of the whole life
Lao Wang walked home slowly on crutches, thinking that he would go to bed early tonight and start his "sleep revolution"