If you go to bed late and get up late but get enough sleep, does it count as staying up late?

I am very sleepy but I can't fall asleep. I want to go to bed early but I stay up late. I fall asleep but I always wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning... Whenever night falls, there are always some people who suffer from various sleep problems. Taking melatonin, taking naps, and catching up on sleep on weekends have become common ways for people with sleep disorders to fight insomnia and relieve fatigue.

Why am I so sleepy but have a hard time falling asleep?

Does going to bed late and getting up late count as staying up late?

If I don’t sleep well, is it okay to take a nap or catch up on sleep on the weekend?

Does melatonin really work?

01What changes have occurred in people with sleep disorders?

Doctors: Getting younger

Poor sleep is becoming a health problem for more and more people. The Healthy China Action (2019-2030) shows that the average daily sleep time for adults in my country is 6.5 hours. According to survey data from the China Sleep Research Society, the incidence of insomnia among Chinese adults is as high as 38.2%.

Meng Fanqiang, deputy chief physician and director of the psychological assessment department of Beijing Anding Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, feels that the number of patients with sleep disorders who have actively sought medical treatment has gradually increased in recent years. In the past, people paid less attention to and had less awareness of sleep problems, but now more and more people realize that insomnia is a disease and choose to come to the hospital for treatment.

The age structure of patients has also changed. According to Meng Fanqiang, the proportion of young people such as junior high school students, high school students, and college students with sleep disorders is increasing. Factors such as high academic pressure, fast pace of life, and frequent use of electronic products may lead to sleep problems. In addition, middle-aged and elderly people, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases, people who are chronically overtired, and people with irregular diets are also more likely to have sleep problems.

Meng Fanqiang introduced that the scope of sleep disorders is quite wide, and "not being able to fall asleep, not being able to wake up, and not sleeping well" are the main manifestations. He reminded that in addition to difficulty falling asleep, falling asleep quickly but waking up early often may also be a sleep disorder, and we need to be alert to whether there are emotional problems such as anxiety and depression.

02Why do I feel sleepy but have a hard time falling asleep?

Doctor: Wrong connection established with the bed

In life, many people are obviously very sleepy, but they toss and turn in bed and can't fall asleep. Meng Fanqiang said that sometimes the body feels sleepy, but the brain is actually still somewhat active, and it has not reached a state of sleep, so it may not fall asleep immediately, so you can give yourself some time.

He pointed out that excessive stimulation during the day, frequent use of electronic products before going to bed, and eating too much at night can make it difficult for people to relax when lying in bed. In addition, some people will focus all their attention on "I want to fall asleep immediately", which makes it more difficult to fall asleep. Some people like to think about something in bed before going to bed. Excessive thinking is also one of the factors that lead to sleep problems.

"People who don't suffer from insomnia will feel at ease when they see the bed, which means they have a good connection with the bed. But if you often think about problems in bed, you will also think unconsciously when you lie in bed. This is a wrong and bad connection," said Meng Fanqiang.

He suggested that if there are things that require planning and thinking, it is recommended to do them in a place like a study, and you can even take some notes. After closing the notebook, these things are left for tomorrow, and you don't think about them in bed.

03Is going to bed late and getting up late considered staying up late?

Doctor: It depends on the length of sleep and whether it is regular.

Some people are used to going to bed late and getting up late, but their sleep time is not short. Does this count as staying up late?

Meng Fanqiang pointed out that a common definition of staying up late is to go to bed late on purpose and not get enough sleep. " If a person used to go to bed at 11 o'clock, but has changed to 1 o'clock for a long time recently, but has also delayed his wake-up time, and his sleep and wake-up times are very regular every day, and his sleep is not significantly disrupted, such as waking up frequently in the middle of the night, this situation will not have a particularly big impact on the body ."

Regarding the statement that "8 hours is the standard for good sleep", Meng Fanqiang said that everyone's sleep needs are different. For most adults, they only need to sleep about 7 hours. The most important criterion for good sleep is whether you feel energetic and physically restored after getting up, rather than simply looking at the length of sleep.

04Can melatonin cure insomnia?

Doctor: It is not very helpful, don’t take it blindly

Many people with sleep disorders choose to buy and take melatonin on their own. However, Meng Fanqiang advises not to take melatonin blindly. He points out that melatonin itself is a health product and cannot replace drugs or some non-drug treatments.

"It's okay for some people who work shifts or suffer from jet lag to take a little melatonin occasionally, but at other times, additional melatonin is not very helpful for difficulty falling asleep or insomnia. If used for a long time, there may also be some adverse reactions, such as frequent headaches and dizziness. At present, there are no authoritative guidelines in China recommending the use of melatonin to treat insomnia." Meng Fanqiang said.

So, when is it recommended to seek medical attention when there are sleep problems? Meng Fanqiang pointed out that there are rarely simple insomnia problems. Insomnia is often caused by other factors, such as emotional problems, irregular lifestyle, sleep breathing problems, etc.

Meng Fanqiang suggested that if you have sleep problems, you can first find the cause and try to adjust yourself. If the situation does not improve after adjustment, or even your daytime life is significantly affected, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment.

05Are naps and weekend sleep-in useful?

Doctor: It is not recommended for insomniacs to make up for too much sleep

To minimize the damage caused by lack of sleep, some people choose to take naps or catch up on sleep on weekends.

Meng Fanqiang pointed out that naps can relieve fatigue and improve work efficiency in the afternoon, but they are not suitable for everyone. Insomnia patients are not suitable for long naps. It is recommended to control the duration to 30 to 40 minutes and try not to let yourself enter a deep sleep state.

Meng Fanqiang reminds people to make up for the sleep on weekends in moderation. "For example, if a person gets up at 7 o'clock every day and gets up at 8 o'clock on weekends, it is okay to delay for no more than an hour. The make-up sleep at noon should be controlled to 30 to 40 minutes, and do not sleep for half a day. (Long-term make-up sleep) is okay for people with good sleep conditions, but for people with long-term poor sleep, such make-up sleep will change their entire sleep rhythm for the next week.

06Which is more harmful: not being able to sleep or staying up late on purpose?

Doctor: The former may have more emotional distress

Meng Fanqiang said that the ultimate result of being unable to sleep and staying up late on purpose is that the overall sleep time is reduced, which will inevitably affect the patient's immunity, memory, etc., which is harmful to the body. The difference is that compared with staying up late on purpose, people who cannot sleep at night may have more emotional distress, such as anxiety and uneasiness.

How to have a good sleep? Meng Fanqiang made three suggestions. First, a regular schedule is important. Compared with the time to fall asleep, the time to wake up is easier to control. If the time to wake up is relatively stable within a cycle, the speed of falling asleep and the quality of sleep may be better guaranteed.

Secondly, **in terms of sleeping habits, the bed should be used as a tool for sleeping, and other entertainment methods such as browsing the phone should not be done on the bed, so that the bed can have a good connection with sleep. **Before going to bed, give yourself at least half an hour to an hour of buffer time, put down your phone, calm down, and don't lie in bed for too long.

Finally, moderate exercise can be helpful for sleep, regulate emotions, relieve stress, and make the body more relaxed, but it is not recommended to exercise two or three hours before bedtime, because a slow and buffering process is needed before going to bed.

Text and pictures from: China News Service, China News Network

Editor of this issue/ Yu Qiaoyan (intern)

Editor/Zhang Wen