sleep is a system engineering
In fact, sleeping is not as simple as falling on the pillow, covering the quilt, closing the eyes all night, and then opening the eyes to wake up. It is a complex gradual process. Why do we sometimes wake up and recover our strength magically, but sometimes feel more tired than before going to bed? This is caused by the difference in the depth and state of sleep.
Researchers at the University of Chicago, after recording brain waves of thousands of volunteers during sleep, revealed the sleep cycle of the human body: during sleep, the human body first enters the slow wave sleep period, then the rapid eye movement sleep period, and then repeats it. There are about 4-6 sleep cycles a night.
A US study found that falling asleep after two in the morning easily disrupts the physiological clock, seriously affects the body’s lipid metabolism, and easily increases the risk of heart disease.
how long do we need to sleep
Do you often feel empty or drowsy during the day? Is it always difficult to get out of bed on Monday morning? If this is the case, you must conclude, “I don’t get enough sleep!”
I believe we are all familiar with the harms of insufficient sleep: poor energy, sluggish response, memory decline, reduced immunity, and even premature aging of the body. At present, the most common saying is that an adult should have 7 to 8 hours of sleep, but an experiment by the University of California in the United States has reached a sensational conclusion: “sleeping 8 hours a day will make you die faster.”
This experiment lasted for six years and was jointly conducted by the University of California San Diego School of pharmacy and the American Cancer Society. They looked at one million people between the ages of 30 and 102. In this experiment, the age, medical history and health of the subjects have been taken into account, and they are compared with those with similar physical conditions.
Studies have found that people who sleep only 6 or 7 hours a day have a much lower mortality rate than those who sleep more than 8 hours or less than 4 hours a day. Among them, those who sleep 7 hours a day have the lowest mortality rate, and even those who sleep only 5 hours have a lower coefficient than those who sleep enough 8 hours.
the vicious circle of sleep rhythm
For those who often wake up at night, or wake up before they have a full rest, their sleep rhythm is very chaotic. The EEG shows rapid, sharp rise and fall and suppressed wave patterns at all stages, which is not seen in normal people’s sleep.
Therefore, only when the 4-5 stages of deep sleep are fully carried out can the human body’s physiological function be fully repaired, the immune system be strengthened, and the energy can be fully replenished. Extending sleep time does not necessarily make up for your lack of sleep. On the contrary, if you stay in bed blindly, you will not get high-quality sleep. This is harmful to the human body, and it will even shorten your life.
This vicious cycle repeats itself, and as a result, your sleep system is weakened. The physiological rest period is disrupted, the body can’t get enough energy, and your immunity is reduced.
sleeping too much and eating too much are the same thing.
Those who sleep more are not because they need long sleep, but because they do not take good care of their sleep system, which leads to the weakening of this system and can not work efficiently. When they feel lack of vitality during the day, they often think: “I sleep too little. I need to sleep more.” Instead of asking yourself, “is my sleep quality not good enough? How can I improve it?”
In fact, for those who wake up naturally after only 6 or 7 hours of sleep, don’t lie down for 8 hours when you wake up. As long as you feel clear headed and feel good, you can get up and exercise with confidence. For those who feel that they don’t get enough sleep for a long time, maybe you should be strict with yourself, set the alarm clock, and control the sleep time and cycle regularly. Sleeping too much and eating too much are the same truth. Eating eight times full is probably the healthiest. Therefore, even if you still feel sleepy after reaching the point, you should persuade yourself to stop staying in bed.
tips from the American National Sleep Association
1. Follow the rise and fall of the sun: try to get up when the sun rises, or light a bright light when you get up. Bright light will adjust the body’s biological clock to its best. If you spend an hour in the morning sun every day, you will feel refreshed and fall asleep more easily at night.
2. Don’t lie in bed staring: if you can’t sleep, don’t stay in bed. Get up and go to other places to do relaxing things, read books and newspapers, listen to music and even watch TV until you feel tired. Just avoid getting too excited. The anxiety of lying in bed often makes it harder for you to sleep well.
3. Adjust the room temperature: adjust the room temperature to a comfortable state. A room that is too hot or too cold will make your body nervous and make it harder to sleep.
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