How much sleep do you need every day to be considered enough sleep, and what counts as good sleep quality?

Sleep is one of the most basic physiological needs of human beings. We spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping. Healthy sleep is one of the three major health standards of the human body. However, with the increase of age and various pressures, more and more people begin to suffer from sleep problems. Let's talk about sleep, which accompanies human beings throughout their lives.

World Sleep Day: March 21

Origin of World Sleep Day

In order to raise public awareness of the importance of sleep, the International Mental Health and Neuroscience Foundation launched a global event in its global sleep and health plan in 2001, which is World Sleep Day, scheduled for March 21 every year. The focus of this event is to draw people's attention to the importance of sleep and sleep quality. In 2003, the Chinese Sleep Research Society officially introduced "World Sleep Day" to China.

How important is sleep?

Sleep is very important to physical health. It not only protects the brain, promotes and consolidates the body's memory, but also helps us restore physical strength, enhances the body's immunity, delays aging and promotes longevity. For infants, children and teenagers, adequate sleep can promote the maturity of their nervous system and growth and development.

So, how long do we need to sleep every day? In fact, different people have different needs for sleep time. Children sleep relatively longer, and the elderly sleep relatively less due to their physiological characteristics. For ordinary adults, the recommended sleep time is 7 to 9 hours per night. Less than 6 hours or more than 10 hours is not good for health. If you can ensure enough sleep time every day, fall asleep within 30 minutes, and wake up no more than twice at night, then it is considered healthy sleep.

A complete sleep cycle consists of 4 to 6 cycles.

Studies have shown that human sleep at night is generally divided into two categories, non-rapid eye movement sleep (including light sleep and deep sleep) and rapid eye movement sleep (80% of people are dreaming when they are awakened during this process, also known as the "dream period"). A sleep cycle is from light to deep sleep and then to the dream period, which is about 90 minutes. There are about 4 to 6 sleep cycles a night. Non-rapid eye movement sleep accounts for about 80% of the entire sleep period and is the main way to promote growth, eliminate fatigue, and restore physical strength. Among them, deep sleep (accounting for 15% to 20% of the total sleep time) is particularly important. It mainly occurs in the first half of the night and is the peak period of growth hormone secretion. Children’s lack of deep sleep will seriously affect their growth and development.

Is dreaming bad for your health?

Dreaming is a normal psychological phenomenon that occurs during sleep. Normally, when people are sleeping, the nerve cells in the brain are in an inhibited state, but sometimes this inhibition is not complete, and the nerve cells in a few areas of the cerebral cortex are in an excited state, and then people will have dreams. If the nerve cells related to language and movement are also in an excited state at this time, then not only will dreams appear, but also sleep talking or sleepwalking may occur.

Dreaming is not only harmless to health, but also has important significance for the human body. First, the brain uses dreams to clear the garbage generated by its own work during the day; second, the brain uses dreams to organize what it has learned during the day and help the corresponding functional areas to remember. In addition, dreaming can sometimes allow us to perceive the source of pain in certain parts of the body from dreams, thereby improving the maintenance of these areas.

Insomnia makes the night no longer beautiful

According to data, the incidence of insomnia in my country is getting higher and higher. High-pressure lifestyle, lack of physical exercise, irregular sleep, alcohol dependence and excessive caffeine intake are all risk factors for insomnia.

Insomnia makes people toss and turn in the long night and unable to fall asleep. This kind of continuous insomnia not only puts a heavy burden on the body, seriously affects the quality of life and reduces work efficiency, but also increases the risk of depression. In addition, long-term intake of hypnotic drugs is not good for physical health. People with severe insomnia should go to the hospital to seek help from a doctor and receive scientific treatment under the guidance of a clinician.

Almost everyone suffers from insomnia occasionally due to excitement, tension or stress, but how do we determine when insomnia is a disease?

The American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has detailed diagnostic criteria: 1. Significant dissatisfaction with the quality or quantity of sleep, and at least one of the following symptoms: ① Difficulty falling asleep; ② Difficulty maintaining sleep; ③ Early awakening, easy awakening, and difficulty falling asleep after waking up. 2. Insomnia causes daytime functional impairment. 3. Duration: more than 3 times a week, lasting for more than 3 months. 4. Difficulty sleeping despite having sufficient sleep opportunities. 5. Not caused by medication or other diseases.

Three types of food that help you sleep

Foods rich in B vitamins. B vitamins can promote metabolism, enhance the function of the nervous system, eliminate irritability and promote sleep. For dinner, you can eat more whole grain foods such as oats, brown rice, and whole wheat bread.

Foods rich in tryptophan. Tryptophan can be metabolized into 5-hydroxytryptamine in the human body, which can inhibit the excitement of the central nervous system and produce a certain sense of drowsiness. At the same time, 5-hydroxytryptamine can be further converted into melatonin in the human body, which has a sedative and sleep-inducing effect. Milk, millet, walnuts, bananas, figs, etc. are rich in tryptophan. Eating more of these foods at dinner can promote sleep.

Foods rich in calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium can inhibit the nervous system from being overly excited and have a sleep-inducing effect. Eating a moderate amount of magnesium-rich nuts (about 10 grams) for dinner and drinking a glass of calcium-rich pure milk before going to bed are both good choices for insomniacs.