It’s now more justifiable to stay in bed for 5 minutes in winter!

Popular Science Times reporter Chen Jie

On winter mornings, the warm bed always has a magical power that makes many people try their best to stay in it a little longer.

Recently, the topic "Doctors recommend staying in bed for 5 minutes after waking up in winter" has become a hot search. Such "humanistic" advice finally gives those who have difficulty getting up a more legitimate reason to stay in bed.

It is difficult to get up in winter, so why do doctors recommend that we stay in bed?

It turns out that during sleep, the physiological functions of our body are in a relatively stable and slow operation mode. When we wake up in the morning, our body is like a machine that is slowly starting up. If it is suddenly forced to "run at high speed", it is likely to cause health risks. "Especially in winter, the large temperature difference in the environment will make this contrast more obvious." said Ouyang Xiao, director of the Department of Orthopedics at Xuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University.

Getting up too quickly in winter may damage our muscles and joints.

After a night's rest, the muscles and joints of the human body are in a relaxed state. If you don't give them enough time to warm up and activate before getting up, the muscles and joints will be under greater pressure without being prepared, which can easily lead to strains or sprains. Especially for middle-aged and elderly people, muscles and joints should be properly stretched and "awakened" before getting up.

In addition, winter is the peak season for cardiovascular emergencies such as myocardial infarction and stroke. In addition, affected by the body's biological clock, 6 to 10 a.m. is also the "volcanic time" for human blood pressure. "The blood circulation of the human body will slow down during sleep. If you get up immediately after waking up, your blood pressure will fluctuate violently, and you are very likely to experience symptoms such as dizziness and palpitations, and may even cause cardiovascular accidents," said Ouyang Xiao.

Staying in bed for 5 minutes can not only help us transition smoothly from sleep to wakefulness, but also help the cardiovascular system slowly adjust blood pressure and heart rate.

Some netizens have reported that if they stay in bed a little longer when getting up early in the winter, their groggy heads will actually be easier to wake up, and they will be full of energy for the rest of the day.

"This is consistent with the operating mechanism of the human nervous system." Dong Yanbin, attending physician of the Department of Medical Psychology of the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, explained that when we fall asleep, the brain is in a state of inhibition. Waking up too quickly will cause sudden excitement of the nerves and a sudden increase in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular pressure, which will lead to symptoms such as slow brain reaction, mental confusion, and panic. In just 5 minutes, the brain and heart can smoothly transition from an inhibited state to an excited state, which can make us full of energy after waking up.

What should we do if we stay in bed for 5 minutes?

Ouyang Xiao suggested that we should follow the "221" principle, that is, lie on the bed for 2 minutes after opening our eyes when we first wake up, sit for 2 minutes after getting up, and wait for 1 minute by the bed. "During these 5 minutes, we can do gentle stretching exercises such as deep breathing, stretching, and moving our ankles and wrists, and slowly activate our bodies before getting up and moving around."

However, just 5 minutes may not be enough to satisfy those who have difficulty getting up and want to stay in bed.

"The so-called 'stay in bed for 5 minutes' is not meant to make us really stay in bed." Dong Yanbin reminded that no matter what season it is, maintaining a regular schedule is very important for good health.

Occasional lying in bed is harmless, but lying in bed for a long time may disrupt the body's biological clock. When you really can't sleep at night, various health problems may come to you.