How many hours should I sleep every day?, Want to live a long life
Sleep problems remain high,
People who sleep for less than 7 hours
An increase of 1/4 compared to the previous year,
More than one-third of Chinese people suffer from sleep disorders
How many hours of sleep should one sleep every day to live a long life?
Why does taking a nap make you feel drowsy the more you sleep
Recently, the Health Science Popularization Large Series Live Streaming "Health Talk" jointly created by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission and the Wuhan Municipal Love and Health Office gave an exciting speech. Professor Huang Zhili, Director of the Department of Pharmacology at Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University and Chairman of the Chinese Sleep Research Association, gave a wonderful science popularization sharing on the widely concerned sleep problems of modern people.
01
How many hours of sleep should one sleep every day to live a long life?
As we all know, insomnia is not conducive to a person's physical health. So, does the longer the sleep time, the healthier and longer the lifespan?
The answer is negative. According to the relationship curve between sleep duration and mortality rate displayed by Professor Huang Zhili on site, it can be concluded that the optimal daily sleep time for adults is 6.5 to 7.4 hours. An average of 7 hours of sleep per day is an important secret to longevity.
As one of the four pillars of health, sleep is a highly conservative instinctive behavior that has functions such as energy conservation, clearing metabolic waste from the brain, and enhancing immunity. It is an important guarantee for learning, memory consolidation, and maintaining agile thinking. Huang Zhili stated that sleep also has a very important function, which is the need for growth and development. 80% of growth hormone is released during sleep, which is essential for life.
Newborns aged 0-2 months need 12-18 hours of sleep per day because their brain and body are rapidly developing, and sleep is one of the key factors for newborn growth and development;
Infants aged 3-11 months require 14-15 hours of sleep per day;
Children aged 1-3 need 12-14 hours of sleep time;
Preschool children aged 3-5 need 11-13 hours of sleep;
School aged children aged 5-10 need 10-11 hours;
Adolescents aged 11 to 17 need 8.5 to 9.5 hours;
Adults, including the elderly, need 7-8 hours.
"As we age, the duration of sleep will continue to shorten," Professor Huang Zhili summarized.
According to relevant research, people who sleep for less than 4 hours or more than 10 hours have a significantly increased risk of cognitive impairment; The incidence of stroke in adults who sleep 8 hours a day is twice that of adults who sleep 7 hours a day.
"We need to change the traditional concept that sleep time must exceed 8 hours. Adults should sleep for 7 hours, which is the best sleep time." Professor Huang Zhili said that healthy sleep should not blindly pursue the length of sleep, but should pay attention to the quality of sleep.
02
Take a nap beyond this time
40% increase in disease risk
In daily life, many people have the habit of taking a nap. Indeed, taking a nap can bring many health benefits to the human body. Taking a nap is the right way to replenish energy in the body, but sleeping the wrong way may make you more tired. How should I take a nap? How long does it take to sleep normally?
Professor Huang Zhili gave a "standard answer": The nap time should be limited to 15-20 minutes before 15:00 to achieve the maximum health benefits of nap and prevent damage to nighttime sleep.
"Taking a nap for over an hour increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 40%." Professor Huang Zhili explained that there is a potential two-way connection between napping and Alzheimer's disease: taking too many or too long naps can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the future; Alzheimer's disease can also cause patients to take excessive naps during the day.
In addition, taking too long a nap in the afternoon may lead to entering a deep sleep state, slowing down the body's metabolism and blood flow rate. After waking up, it is easy to experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and headache, which can have a negative impact on daily work and study in the afternoon. Meanwhile, prolonged sleep during the day can also damage nighttime sleep and lead to insomnia.
03
10 healthy "tips"
Help you achieve healthy sleep
According to the 2023 China Health Sleep White Paper, 87.9% of respondents indicated that they have paid attention to their sleep health, with over one-third having sleep problems. According to a survey, nearly 70% of people who are accustomed to staying up late have sleep problems related to their phones. Due to the inability to put down the phone, the time to fall asleep has been repeatedly delayed, and the phone has become a "sleep killer".
Having good sleep can start by developing good sleep habits. Professor Huang Zhili gave 10 sleep health tips on site:
Relax before falling asleep, avoid blue light stimulation from mobile phones, computers, etc., and read poetry, history books, etc. to calm people and help them fall asleep;
Master one's own sleep characteristics and cultivate a regular sleep schedule;
Drink tea and coffee at the right time;
Dinner in moderation, satiety increases gastrointestinal burden and interferes with sleep;
Wake up on time, go to bed on time, and strictly adhere to biological rhythms;
Three meals a day, regular and moderate, allowing cells to perceive and maintain biological rhythms at a metabolic level;
Utilize sunlight, open windows promptly after waking up, or choose to use lighting fixtures to enhance light stimulation and awaken the brain;
Take the shortest sleep time without drowsiness the next day as the optimal sleep duration;
Maintaining exercise habits and increasing the production of endogenous sleep substances are beneficial for the initiation and maintenance of sleep;
Self correction is ineffective. It is recommended to provide professional assistance and not blindly choose health products or medication on your own.
