Sleep hygiene knowledge

Some insomnia is related to bad sleep hygiene habits and sleeping environment. Understanding sleep hygiene knowledge, identifying and correcting bad sleep hygiene habits, and creating a good sleeping environment can effectively improve sleep.

1. Maintain regular sleep time and sleeping habits:

(1) Sleeping time is not based on the "8-hour" standard. Spending too much time in bed will lead to fragmented sleep or shallow sleep.

(2) Going to bed and getting up at fixed times can help establish your "biological clock." No matter how long you sleep, you must get up regularly the next day.

(3) If you cannot fall asleep, get up and leave the bedroom. Do some gentle activities such as reading, listening to music, or taking a walk. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy.

(4) Do not look at the alarm clock. Repeatedly looking at the time will cause worry and frustration, which will aggravate insomnia.

(5) Avoid taking naps or dozing off during the day. Staying awake during the day will help you sleep at night.

2. Maintain good behavior habits:

(1) Exercising at a fixed time during the day or evening can deepen sleep. Avoid strenuous exercise within 2 hours before bedtime.

(2) Taking a hot bath within 2 hours before bedtime can help increase deep sleep.

(3) Do not engage in any mental work that may cause excitement or watch any books or movies that may cause excitement or horror within 1.5 hours before going to bed.

(4) Avoid contact with electronic devices with luminous screens, such as mobile phones, game consoles, computers, and televisions within 1 hour before bedtime;

(5) Worrying can interfere with falling asleep and lead to shallow sleep. Solve your worries early in the evening or make plans for the next day.

3. Create a comfortable sleeping environment:

(1) Comfortable bedding helps you fall asleep.

(2) A comfortable and quiet environment can reduce arousal. Laying down carpets, drawing curtains, and closing doors can help; wearing an eye mask or earplugs can also help.

(3) The sleeping environment temperature should be appropriate; being too cold or too hot will affect sleep.

4. Maintain good eating habits:

(1) Avoid eating greasy or difficult-to-digest food before going to bed. Do not go to bed on an empty stomach, as hunger may affect your sleep.

(2) Avoid drinking too much water before going to bed to avoid frequent urination at night and having to go to the bathroom.

(3) Reduce the intake of caffeinated beverages and foods. Coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, etc. can cause difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, and shallow sleep.

(4) Avoid drinking alcohol: Drinking alcohol may help nervous people fall asleep more easily, but it may cause them to wake up easily at night or wake up early.

(5) Avoid smoking: Nicotine is a stimulant and smoking at night can cause insomnia.

Specific ways to deal with insomnia

If you suffer from insomnia, you can follow the following methods to improve your sleep.

1. Avoid excessive panic, learn to talk, and seek support from family and friends;

2. Examine whether you have poor sleep hygiene and make corrections;

3. Examine whether you have incorrect cognition about sleep and make corrections;

4. Relaxation training: not only before going to bed, but also any time you feel nervous and uneasy during the day;

5. Stimulus control: that is, "get out of bed if you can't sleep, and go back to bed when you feel sleepy." Usually, after a few nights of this, you can return to normal sleep;

6. Sleep restriction: Limit the time you spend in bed. Most importantly, set a fixed time for going to bed and getting up;

7. Drug treatment: For short-term insomnia, after the above non-drug treatments have failed, sleeping pills (especially non-benzodiazepines) can be used as an auxiliary. They are simple and effective. Short-term and intermittent use will not cause addiction problems.