The A to ZZZZZ of sleep
Doctors try to help people with sleep disorders at a campaign held in Beijing to raise awareness about the importance of sleep. Li Taihang |
"Patients should be aware that having good sleep habits is critical to achieving success in treating their insomnia," said Mary S. Esther of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
This includes doing something relaxing, not stimulating, before going to bed to take the mind off worries about sleep; avoiding staying in bed and trying to sleep; having a cool comfortable place in which to sleep; and having a regular wake-up time each morning.
The sleep environment should be quiet and be used only for sleep or sex and not for watching television or eating. A warm bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading can help the sleep process.
Naps should be avoided as far as possible. If one must take a nap, it should be kept to less than one hour. It is important to avoid caffeine after noon in order to fall asleep at an appropriate time.
It is also important to avoid alcohol near bedtime. Too many people rely on alcohol to make them sleepy, and while it may make them sleepy initially, it actually leads to more sleep disruptions over the night.
Doctors emphasize that worrying about sleep is taboo if one "tries" to sleep, one won't be successful! Instead, one should get out of bed and do something until sleep kicks in.
Milk and foods such as day lily, lily, white fungus, longan, and red jujube help one sleep, according to doctor Shi Ming of the Chinese Sleep Research Society.
China Daily
(China Daily 03/21/2007 page19)
