Best time to fall asleep

Sleep is very important for the human body. The energy consumed by people working or studying during the day requires them to relieve fatigue, replenish energy, etc. when they sleep at night. And the most important thing about sleep is people's growth and development. People grow while they are in deep sleep. People need to be able to master the time to fall asleep, so when is the best time to fall asleep?

The best time to sleep is from 11pm to 6am the next day, and 11pm to 3am the next day is the golden time for sleep. The liver's metabolism is most active at this time. If you miss this golden sleep time for a long time, you will suffer from sleep disorders, leading to body dysfunction.

Sleep cycle

During each night's sleep, a sleep cycle is completed every 2 hours or so. If you sleep for 8 hours, you will cycle through four sleep cycles. Each sleep cycle begins with drowsiness, then gradually deepens until deep sleep, and then transitions to non-rapid eye movement dreaming sleep.

According to the EEG pattern during sleep, we divide the sleep cycle into five stages:

The first stage is falling asleep, which is the transition period between wakefulness and sleep. People can easily wake up in this stage. We usually call it a resting state or a semi-sleeping state. It lasts about 10 minutes.

The second stage is light sleep. During this period, people are easily awakened. Those who have difficulty falling asleep often wake up on their own. We usually call it falling asleep. It lasts about 20 minutes.

The third stage is mid-sleep, during which the consciousness disappears and it is difficult to wake up. We usually call it deep sleep or deep sleep, which lasts about 40 minutes.

The fourth stage is deep sleep. During this period, the sleep is deep and it is very difficult to wake up. We usually call it "sleeping dead". It lasts about 20 minutes.

The fifth stage is rapid eye movement. During this period, the eyeballs move rapidly, about 50-60 times per minute. We usually call it the dream state. It lasts about 5-10 minutes.

Sleeping precautions:

First, being too hungry or too full

Eating too much and sleeping too much are not good for our spleen and stomach digestion, and they can turn dampness into phlegm, which can seriously damage the yang energy. It is always difficult to fall asleep when you are hungry because of the empty intestines. Some people eat snacks while lying in bed, which is even more detrimental to health.

Second, drink plenty of water

Don't drink too much water before going to bed, especially cold water. It will cause water retention in the body and increase nocturia. Drinking too much cold water may also damage your kidneys.

Third, do not cover your face

Sleeping with your head covered can easily lead to breathing difficulties and inhale a large amount of carbon dioxide, which is harmful to your health. Therefore, it is important to keep your breathing unobstructed when you sleep. As Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty said, "Do not cover your head on winter nights, and you will live longer", it can be seen that you should not cover your head when sleeping.

Fourth, it is not suitable to be exposed to the wind

After people fall asleep, their ability to adapt to the environment decreases, making them most susceptible to wind-evil attacks. Therefore, it is best to close the windows before going to bed. Even in hot seasons, you should not seek coolness and sleep in a windy place.

Fifth, stay calm

The mood before going to bed is also very important. Changes in emotions will cause disorders of Qi and blood, so excessive mood fluctuations before going to bed can lead to insomnia and even illness.

There are also some small things to pay attention to: don't sleep facing the light, don't talk too much before going to bed, don't sleep with your mouth open, don't lie on your stomach, etc.