Nearly half of Chinese adults have sleep problems! Here are 10 little things you can do to improve your sleep.

As we all know, sleep is an indispensable part of human physiological activities, and sleep quality is closely related to human health.

Recently, the China Sleep Research Society released the "2025 China Sleep Health Survey Report". This is the first objective, scientific and authoritative sleep data report in my country. The report points out that sleep disturbances include going to the toilet at night, waking up easily or early at night, and difficulty falling asleep. The results show that the sleep disturbance rate of people aged 18 and above in China is 48.5%.

Today is World Sleep Day, March 21st, so let’s talk about what happens when you suffer from chronic insomnia, and 10 small things you can do to improve your sleep.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

What happens when you don’t get enough sleep?

Sleep disorders or insufficiency can not only lead to inattention, memory loss, mood swings, affecting learning efficiency, work quality and social enthusiasm, but can also destroy the balance of the body's immune system, disrupt endocrine function, and create conditions for the breeding or worsening of various diseases such as neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases.

Lack of sleep can reduce the number of immune cells and inhibit their activity. Short-term lack of sleep can lead to decreased attention, memory and decision-making ability, emotional instability, and irritability. When faced with emergencies, the reaction time is prolonged, increasing the risk of traffic accidents and production safety accidents.

Long-term poor sleep will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), including coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, cerebral hemorrhage and hypertension. A foreign study showed that lack of sleep may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by affecting endothelial function and accelerating vascular aging. The internal mechanism of endothelial dysfunction is mainly shown in the figure below.

Click to enlarge↑ The mechanism of insufficient sleep causing CVD. Source: Reference [3]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system, with the main clinical manifestations including memory impairment, cognitive impairment and even loss of speech ability. Long-term sleep disorders or insufficient sleep can also damage neurocognitive function, induce persistent immune activation and changes in the levels of inflammatory markers in the circulatory system, and may increase the risk of various diseases such as AD.

In addition, lack of sleep promotes the occurrence and development of CVD by accelerating the progression of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome.

10 little things to do to improve your sleep

Recommend you to try!

In fact, you can improve your sleep quality by doing the following small things.

1

Don't sleep too late

With the development of technology, many people are still addicted to the screens of electronic products or linger in the bustling nightlife late at night, reluctant to end the day.

A study of 103,712 participants in the UK Biobank found that falling asleep between 22:00 and 23:00 can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Sleeping too late can lead to lack of energy the next day, disrupted biological clocks, and insomnia.

2

Don't stay in bed on weekends

Being able to sleep in on the weekends seems like a happy thing. However, several studies have found that sleeping in on the weekends not only does not relieve sleep deprivation, but may also bring other burdens to the body.

According to a paper published in the latest European Journal of Nutrition by researchers from King's College London, there is a link between irregular sleep schedules and negative effects on intestinal health, and sleeping in on weekends may cause serious damage to the health of the intestinal microbiome.

3

Take off your smartwatch when you sleep

Smart bracelets and watches can be used to record sleep quality, but sometimes they may also affect sleep. Users may become anxious about sleep due to excessive attention to the sleep data of smart devices.

In addition, when these smart devices show poor sleep quality, it will also give users hints and make them feel lack of energy.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

4

The nap time should not be too long

Taking a nap can increase your sense of relaxation and make you more productive in the afternoon.

But taking a nap for too long can make the brain groggy and unclear, and can also affect nighttime sleep. The best nap time is less than 30 minutes. For those who have trouble sleeping at night, try not to take a nap. (Click here to learn more → The best nap time is here! Research has found that people who take naps frequently should never take more than this time!)

5

Don't count sheep, but count backwards.

Some people like to count sheep when they can't fall asleep, and they start to think about random things while counting, but this is actually limited in effect. In fact, you can try counting backwards, starting from 100 or 1000, counting down slowly, pausing for 2 to 3 seconds between each number, and keeping your breathing steady. If you find that your mind is wandering, bring your attention back to the countdown. By focusing on the countdown, you can help relax your brain, reduce anxiety and distractions, and make it easier to fall asleep.

6

Create a comfortable sleeping environment

Loud noises and strong light can affect sleep, making it difficult to fall asleep or waking up frequently. Use earplugs or white noise to block out noise, install blackout curtains or wear an eye mask to block out light, and keep the bedroom cool. The ideal temperature should be around 20°C.

You need to choose the right pillow and bedding. The color of the bedding may also make people feel more nervous and affect their sleep. (Click here to learn more → The color of the quilt really affects the quality of sleep! Change it quickly! (Recommendations included))

7

Give sleep a ritual

Put down your phone, computer and other electronic devices one hour before bed. Dim the lights and do some relaxing activities, such as reading, listening to soft music, meditating or deep breathing. These activities can heal the past, relax the mind and relieve emotions. Empty your bladder before going to bed to avoid being woken up by the urge to urinate as soon as you get into bed.

8

Give your brain a spring clean

No matter how unpleasant things happened during the day, you should reset them before going to bed. If you feel very unhappy, write down your worries on a piece of paper before going to bed, throw it in the trash, and pretend that the matter is over. If you have a lot of work to do tomorrow, don't be anxious, you can write down your work arrangements on paper.

9

Moderate exercise during the day

Do some outdoor exercise during the day, which can strengthen the circadian rhythm, relieve stress and anxiety, and help you sleep well. But you should choose the right intensity and time for exercise, and avoid strenuous exercise within 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

10

Don't abuse melatonin

Melatonin is generally effective for short-term insomnia (such as jet lag, shift work, or temporary sleep problems), but has limited effect on long-term insomnia. As the body's natural production of melatonin decreases with age, melatonin supplementation may help some older people.

In short, there are many reasons for insomnia, which are related to psychology, living habits, environment, physiological diseases, drugs and other factors. Therefore, the improvement method should also be multi-dimensional.

References

[1]Shahram Nikbakhtian, Angus B Reed, Bernard Dillon Obika, Davide Morelli, Adam C Cunningham, Mert Aral, David Plans, Accelerometer-derived sleep onset timing and cardiovascular disease incidence: a UK Biobank cohort study, European Heart Journal - Digital Health, Volume 2, Issue4,December2021,Pages658–666,

[2] 2017 China Sleep Data and Recommendations[J]. Health Management, 2017, (06): 97-99.

[3] Li Chenyang, Xu Xizhen. Research progress on the relationship between sleep habits and cardiovascular disease [J]. Advances in Cardiovascular Diseases, 2023, 44(01): 57-61. DOI: 10.16806/j.cnki.issn.1004-3934.2023.01.014. [4] Wang Quanfeng, Jing Legang. Effects of sleep on the immune system and health [J]. Biology Teaching, 2025, 50(02): 5-8.

[5] Zhang Jiaxin. Study shows that sleeping in on weekends may harm intestinal health[N]. Science and Technology Daily, 2023-08-16(004). DOI:10.28502/n.cnki.nkjrb.2023.004682.

[6] Hong Liang. Sleeping in on weekends won’t help you get enough sleep [J]. Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment Knowledge (Popular Science Edition), 2019, (19): 63.

Planning and production

Author: Zhao Wei, Chief Physician of the Department of Neurology, Tianjin University TEDA Hospital, and Vice Chairman of the Science Popularization Branch of Tianjin Sleep Research Society

Reviewer: Zhan Lixuan, Professor of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University

Planning丨Yinuo

Editor: Yinuo

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin