First, the main symptoms of insomnia
Although everyone's insomnia is different and their feelings are quite different, they can be summarized into the following three types:
1. difficulty in falling asleep: when I want to sleep, I can't sleep in bed, so I have to read, listen to music and count in my mind. The more I want to sleep, the more excited and awake I feel.
2. Always awake: I don't sleep well, I often wake up, and sometimes I am awakened by nightmares. Usually it seems to be sleeping instead of sleeping. I know all the sounds and activities around me, so I feel sleepy, stunned and listless after waking up.
3. wake up too early in the morning: it is not difficult to fall asleep, but it is not long. It is difficult to fall asleep after waking up, tossing and turning under the bed or getting up and walking. In severe cases, I can't sleep until dawn. If this kind of insomnia is accompanied by loss of appetite, anxiety and depression, and you are not interested in anything, it is often a harbinger of depression.
Second, insomnia is mainly caused by mental factors.
Insomnia, as a common disease, has spread all over the world, especially among people who are mainly engaged in mental work. According to the survey data, the incidence of insomnia is 32%-50% in the United States, 10%- 14% in Britain, 15% in Germany and 20% in Japan. There are1.20-1.40 million insomniacs in China, and the incidence rate of urban residents is 10%-20%.
Many factors can lead to insomnia, such as mental factors and physical diseases. Old age, weak health, education level, living habits, working environment and sleeping conditions are all closely related to insomnia. More than half of insomnia patients are caused by mental factors. With the development of modern science and technology, the accelerated pace of life and the increasingly fierce market competition, the pressure from career and life is increasing, which makes people's spirit in a state of high tension, easily fluctuating, anxious and nervous, and even leads to anxiety, depression, phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, neurosis and so on. Insomnia comes unexpectedly.
The reasons for abnormal sleep are different. The elderly are mainly unable to adapt to the change of roles, and the mental depression brought by the sense of loss makes them insomnia. Middle-aged people suffer from insomnia because of mental stress and depression; Teenagers' insomnia is a mental problem and lack of communication. In the United States, sleep problems have seriously affected public health, and most Americans do not get enough sleep.
Third, the treatment and self-regulation of insomnia.
Used for insomnia caused by diseases (such as duodenal ulcer, angina pectoris, bronchial asthma, etc.). ), you can go to the hospital for treatment; Insomnia caused by sleep conditions can be solved by choosing suitable bedding and adjusting the temperature and light in the bedroom. As for insomnia caused by mental factors, it is necessary to consult a psychologist to find out the real reason and eliminate the cause of insomnia in various ways. Mental factors have an important influence on insomnia, and then affect people's mental state. Long-term insomnia reduces people's ability to feel, leads to a decline in memory and thinking, and makes people depressed and restless. Insomniacs not only have misunderstandings about insomnia, but also easily enter a vicious circle of insomnia and psychological disorders.
Many people think that they can take sleeping pills once they have insomnia. But if you take drugs for a long time, the side effects of drugs will cause harm to the human body. Some people are afraid of drug addiction and endure the pain of insomnia. None of this is desirable. The treatment of insomnia mainly lies in finding the cause, using all means to induce physiological sleep and let the human body secrete endorphins, a sleeping substance. If psychological adjustment and self-effort are ineffective, then use drugs reasonably under the guidance of a doctor.
Insomnia caused by less serious mental factors can try the following methods:
1. Adjust your mentality, keep a cheerful and optimistic mood, look down on success or failure, don't set too high a goal, and don't demand perfection in everything.
Drink a glass of warm milk half an hour before going to bed. Milk contains tryptophan, which can inhibit brain excitement. Eating more foods rich in calcium, tryptophan or fatigue will have unexpected effects on improving sleep. Fish, dairy products, bean products, laver, sesame, pepper, etc. Both contain a lot of calcium. In order to promote their absorption, it is best to cook with foods containing vitamin D. Foods containing more vitamin D include cod liver oil, animal liver, sardines and tuna.
3. Take a warm bath before going to bed or soak your feet with 40℃ hot water for 3-5 minutes, which can relax your muscles, smooth blood circulation and relax your spirit.
Moderate physical exercise can make the body tired and promote deep sleep, but it takes slight sweating as the degree, because strenuous exercise makes muscles stiff and sore, which hinders sleep. Various forms of exercise can be used, such as dancing, skipping, running, cycling, swimming, doing gymnastics, ball games, playing Tai Ji Chuan and so on. Exercise should be done before meals, and it should be persistent.
5. Gymnastic therapy to relax the spirit, including eye exercises and oral exercises, with tension and relaxation alternating. The duration of tension was slightly longer for the first time, halved for the second time, halved for the third time, and shortened proportionally in turn. Because the nerve responsible for eye activity is located in the front of the brain, as long as the eyes are tired, it will cause nerve fatigue. Relaxing your eyes will give your brain a rest. At the same time, do oral exercises to make mental activities tend to be calm and easy to fall asleep. ① Eye exercises: Take a comfortable posture. After frowning makes you feel completely nervous between your eyes and above your nose, immediately relax, rest and do it 3-4 times repeatedly. ② Oral practice: whistle, lips contract, stretch forward, and immediately relax for a while, and repeat for 3 ~ 4 times.
Fourth, dietotherapy for insomnia.
It is safe, effective and simple to prevent insomnia from diet. There are several kinds here. You might as well make your own medicated porridge or medicated tea, which is not only conducive to refreshing and nourishing, but also adds interest to life.
6 grams of jasmine tea, 6 grams of jasmine tea, 6 grams of Acorus gramineus, and 0/0 gram of green tea, ground into coarse powder, brewed in boiling water, and drunk at will. One dose a day, suitable for neurasthenia such as insomnia, dreaminess, palpitation and amnesia.
Mulberry tea Mulberry15g, boiled water instead of tea, one dose a day, suitable for insomnia of people with physical weakness and excessive heart fire after illness.
2 grams of Gynostemma pentaphyllum stems and leaves, appropriate amount of sugar, boiled water to serve as tea, several times a day.
Fresh lotus root honey drink slice fresh lotus root and simmer it on low heat. Add appropriate amount of honey and take it at will.
Lotus seeds in lotus seed soup have a calming effect. You can sleep peacefully by taking sugar boiled lotus seeds before going to bed every night.
Lettuce soup The white serosity of lettuce has a calming effect. Before going to bed, slice the lettuce with skin and cook the soup.
The tryptophan content in millet porridge is the highest among cereals, so it is better to eat millet porridge at dinner or before going to bed.
Semen Ziziphi Spinosae porridge 50 grams of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae, mashed, decocted to get juice, glutinous rice 100 grams of porridge, and cooked with the juice of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae when it is half cooked. Taking it with meals has a good effect on people who are bored and insomnia.
Lotus lily porridge lotus seed 30g, lily 30g, lean pork 200g, boiled with appropriate amount of water, seasoned and eaten. Suitable for people who are weak, upset and fond of dreaming after illness.
Usage:
Every time, sooner or later 1 time.
Efficacy:
This can be seen in Tong Shou Lu compiled by famous doctors in Qing Dynasty. Qiyi wine can be said to be a century-old health wine. Fructus Lycii, Semen Cuscutae and Herba Cistanches in wine tonify kidney and replenish essence; Herba Epimedii and Rhizoma Curculiginis warm kidney and help yang, strengthen tendons and bones; Angelica sinensis, red dates and black beans enrich blood and nourish blood; Lycium barbarum and Achyranthes bidentata nourish liver and replenish blood; Dendrobium nourishes stomach qi, benefits stomach yin, and helps red dates and black beans replenish spleen yin; Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae is fragrant and can be added into various tonics to avoid the disadvantages of stagnation. Lycium barbarum, Cuscuta chinensis and Dendrobium officinale have the functions of nourishing liver and improving eyesight; Wine can help yang to promote blood circulation, dispel wind and dredge collaterals. Indications: deficiency of kidney yang, deficiency of essence and blood, dizziness, soreness of waist and knees, frequent urination and difficulty in excretion. If you feel cold in winter and your hands and feet are not warm, you can add cinnamon to the wine to drink.