Insomnia—how terrible is the enemy wreaking havoc on your body?

At night, I can't fall asleep, I can't sleep, I can't sleep deeply. Waking up sluggish, unable to concentrate, with lethargic eyes and wobbly walking to work...If you are experiencing these symptoms, this is definitely the article for you. Let's find out together!

Currently, the internet is full of people who make content like: "Each sleep only 3 or 4 hours to succeed. If you sleep more, you are just losers." or "Don't waste your life sleeping. Sleeping time is meaningless." The audience viewing the above content is mainly young people or people of working age. This content inadvertently makes people have an incorrect view of sleep and misunderstand the effects that sleep brings. This article will go into detail, explaining the benefits, effects, and methods to help you improve the quality of sleep in the best way.

The current state of sleep deprivation In the United States, the rate of people with sleep disorders accounts for about 23% of the population, of which 50% of people have had insomnia for more than a month. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, recent statistics show that the number of people suffering from insomnia who go to neurospecialist facilities accounts for 10–20% of the total.

According to a study surveying insomnia in the residential community in Ho Chi Minh City in 2019, the results show that about 33% of the population suffers from one or many insomnia symptoms and about 30% of insomnia-related diseases. I suffer from a mental illness.

At the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, the number of people who come to the clinic for insomnia accounts for about 15%, however, insomnia is also detected when patients come to the doctor for other reasons (about 35 percent). -40%). Doctors said that in many cases, patients had insomnia for many years with symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep, sleeping only about 3 hours a night, waking up at night, not sleeping deeply, often having nightmares and having nightmares. wake up continuously.

The situation worsened even more when in more than 2 recent years, the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, every day was flooded with measurable numbers such as: Cases, severe cases, then deaths, number of cases. people recovering from illness, blockade... But there is one invisible thing - the indirect consequences of the pandemic cannot be counted. That is stress, which is a severe and prolonged psychological disorder, causing insomnia and more persistent anxiety.

It's time we take a more serious look at the importance of sleep to human development. Especially in big cities, with rapid development and a fast pace of life, the problem of insomnia and lack of sleep becomes even more serious.

How much sleep do you really need?

According to a report from the National Sleep Foundation, you can aim for an average amount of sleep that's appropriate for your age. The organization based its report on two years of research and divided it into 9 age-specific categories, with a small range allowing for individual preferences:

- Older adults, 65 years and older, work 7 to 8 hours.

- Adults aged 26 to 64 work 7 to 9 hours per day.

- Youth, 18 to 25 years old, work 7 to 9 hours.

- Teenagers, 14 to 17 years old, work 8 to 10 hours.

- School-age children, 6 to 13 years old, work 9 to 11 hours.

- Kindergarten children, 3 to 5 years old, work 10 to 13 hours.

- Toddlers from 1 to 2 years old: 11 to 14 hours.

- Newborns, 4 to 11 months old, 12 to 15 hours.

- Newborns, 0 to 3 months: 14 hours to 17 hours.

The difference between humans and machines is sleep.

During this time, the organs in the body will be relaxed and restored so they can continue working smoothly the next day. However, due to many different factors, each person's sleep time is different. It may be more or less than 8 hours per day. But getting at least 7 hours of sleep is a step in the right direction to improving your health. What happens when you don't get enough sleep?

It is not natural that when you go to the hospital for treatment, the advice of the doctors is to take time to rest and get enough sleep. Sleep is the main source of energy for the body to function smoothly, but lack of sleep can cause serious problems such as:

• Lack of alertness: you will be like a soulless corpse at work when you can't focus on work with tired, lethargic eyes.
• Sleeping too much during the day: Burning sleep at night makes you very sleepy and tired during the day.
• Memory impairment: affects your ability to think, remember and process information.
• Temperament becomes hot-tempered, irritable: you will be very easily annoyed with everything and everyone around, even for very small reasons.
• Reduced quality of life: you always feel tired, less involved in other activities.
• A higher chance of a car accident: according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving causes thousands of accidents, injuries and deaths each year.

If you are too busy with work, you can allow yourself to sleep less for 1-2 days. At this time, your body will lend you sleep, but your body will still function normally and be healthy, but give it back. You will sleep in the same bed the next day after finishing your work.But don't overdo it with your body's borrowing of sleep. If you continue to function without getting enough sleep, you could have more serious and long-term health problems. Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. Other potential problems include obesity, depression, weakened immunity and lower sex drive. Chronic sleep deprivation can even affect your appearance. Over time, it can lead to premature wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes. There is also a link between a lack of sleep and an increase in the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body. Cortisol can break down collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth.

So, sleep deprivation can lead to more wrinkles! Understand why sleep is so important?

How can I have a better sleep?

If you're experiencing mild, occasional problems with sleep, try these simple strategies from wellness expert Gintell:

1. Maintain a consistent wake-up time.

Schedule a fixed time from sleeping to waking up every day, including days off, so that your body gets used to this routine.

Currently, on our smartphones, there are many applications that support sleep measurement and calculation. Therefore, it is easy for you to get a reasonable amount of sleep for your body.

2. Put away smartphones and tablets.

In today's modern life, electronic devices are seen as inseparable objects by most people, especially young people in their twenties.The benefits that these devices bring cannot be underestimated, but this is also a direct cause of insomnia.

The blue light emitted by electronic devices causes the brain to stop producing melatonin, a hormone that helps the body fall asleep.Gradually, it can disrupt the sleep cycle, cause insomnia, and have a negative impact on health.Therefore, limit blue light sources to 1 to 2 hours before bedtime.

3. Read a book

Reading is a method of relaxation that has existed for a long time in the world, but until now, this is still a way to relax that brings a lot of great benefits, such as:

- Improve knowledge.

- Reduce stress and fatigue.

- Mental stimulation Increased longevity

Instead of surfing the phone or playing games to relieve stress after stressful working hours, try changing your habit by reading a book at night before going to bed to help you have quality sleep.

4. Use relaxation therapy at home. Instead of having to spend time going to a spa, a massage is both expensive and takes a lot of your time.

Buy a full-body massage chair with full features and methods like at a professional spa. This is a very economical and reasonable investment, especially during the current epidemic outbreak. In addition, you can also buy a few scented candles or essential oils to use while relaxing on the massage chair.

With only 30 minutes a day to dispel all worries and daily fatigue, With many exercises, intensive therapy methods will help relax muscle groups and calm the spirit to help you have the best quality sleep.