Sleep is incredibly important, a fact well understood by everyone. However, the gap between knowing' and 'doing' often poses a challenge for many people.
😴 Can't fall asleep at night, can't wake up in the morning;
🤔 Light sleepers who wake up easily, feeling like they've had a 'fake sleep' after waking up;
😪 Those who try to improve sleep through exercise, only to find themselves more excited and even more difficult to fall asleep;
😢 Not sleeping well and feeling drained, attempting to boost energy through exercise, only to feel more 'worn out' afterward.
Does this sound like you?
And we're going to delve into 9 small things that can help you sleep better.
Especially points 3, 8, and 9, which have genuinely improved my sleep, and I hope they can help you too~
1. "Ensure Adequate Sleep Duration"
The National Sleep Foundation provides sleep duration recommendations for different age groups: for adults, it's suggested to sleep for 7 to 9 hours.
2. "Try to Go to Sleep Earlier and Maintain a Regular Pattern."
The term "circadian rhythm" is probably not unfamiliar to you—it's the 24-hour cycle that the Earth takes to orbit the sun, and living organisms, including humans, have adapted to this 24-hour cycle.
Our bodies have a circadian rhythm, known as the sleep/wake cycle or biological clock. While everyone's biological clock is slightly different, some perspectives suggest that the ideal bedtime for humans, in line with circadian rhythms, should be before 11 PM.
If you consistently go to bed after midnight, you might be considered a night owl.
3. "Having to Stay Up Late, But There's No Need to Be Too Anxious."
If you're someone who's used to going to bed and waking up late, don't worry too much. You might have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD).
The typical characteristics of DSPD are a delayed circadian rhythm, which might be 2 to 6 hours later than the 'normal' sleep times expected by society, but with a stable sleep cycle.
For example, someone with DSPS might naturally fall asleep at 4 AM and wake up at 1 PM, feeling refreshed. Studies have mentioned that DSPD could affect about 15% of the world's population.
Even if you have this condition, try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and ensure you get enough sleep. If you go to bed late but still get sufficient quality sleep and rest, you can mitigate the harms of staying up late.
4. "Doing Some Exercise Can Help with Sleep."
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed 17 randomized controlled trials involving 1,090 participants (who were randomly assigned to different types of exercise) and comprehensively summarized the effects of various exercise modalities on improving sleep quality.
It was found that aerobic exercises, resistance training, and Pilates can all effectively improve sleep quality, especially the combination of low-intensity resistance training and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, as well as mind-body exercises combined with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.
5. "Exercise in the Evening, but Complete It Two Hours Before Bedtime."
A 2019 meta-analysis included 23 studies and suggested that exercising in the evening does not negatively impact sleep, unless vigorous exercise ends within 1 hour before bedtime, which may prolong the time it takes to fall asleep and affect total sleep time.
Similarly, a 2021 meta-analysis included 15 studies and found that long-term, regular high-intensity exercise performed 2 to 4 hours before bedtime does not disrupt the nighttime sleep of healthy adults.
However, when exercise ends within 1 hour before bedtime, it may delay the time it takes to fall asleep and reduce sleep duration.
Research also suggests that engaging in high-intensity exercise for 30 to 60 minutes in the evening may lead to a decrease in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which could worsen sleep quality.
Compared to no exercise, moderate-intensity exercise is considered the most promising method for improving sleep, and low-intensity exercise can shorten the sleep latency period.
6. "Do Not Have Dinner Too Late, and If You Are Sensitive to Caffeine, Avoid Consuming Large Amounts of Caffeine Nine Hours Before Bedtime."
Research has found that consuming 400mg of caffeine before sleep, 3 hours before sleep, or 6 hours before sleep, all have significant effects on sleep.
7."Eat Well, as Nutrient Intake Can Also Affect Sleep Quality."
8. "Try Mindfulness Meditation."
A 2023 meta-analysis, which included 24 studies, recommends that to avoid a reduction in total sleep time, coffee (containing 107 mg of caffeine) should be consumed at least 8.8 hours before bedtime.
A 2019 meta-analysis included 18 trials with a total of 1,654 participants and found that mindfulness meditation can improve various cognitive and emotional processes that lead to poor sleep quality. It can reduce rumination and emotional responses, thereby promoting sleep.
Starting mindfulness meditation is quite simple; you might just need a comfortable seat, a few to several minutes of free time, and then focus on your breath and awareness of your body and mind.
9. "Taking a Nap or Just Closing Your Eyes for a While Can Be Quite Helpful.”
Closing your eyes is associated with an 'interoceptive' state, which mainly activates areas related to imagination and multisensory activities; opening your eyes is associated with an 'exteroceptive' state, which mainly activates areas related to attention and eye movement activities.
When we close our eyes to rest, the brain automatically adjusts to an interoceptive state, blocking out much of the external information. This helps to reduce the burden on the brain, allowing it to relax, which is almost like being half asleep.
References
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