What is the definition of insomnia?
Insomnia is defined as experiencing insomnia for at least three days a week, with daytime fatigue, drowsiness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, or physical discomfort, which affects study or work. Insomnia that lasts less than 1 month is called acute insomnia, and insomnia that lasts more than 1 month is called chronic insomnia.
Further subdivided, insomnia can be divided into 3 types:
▸Difficulty falling asleep: It takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep after going to bed
▸Night awakening: The total time of being awake in the middle of the night is more than 30 minutes
▸Waking up too early: Waking up earlier than expected for more than 30 minutes and being unable to fall asleep again（https://tinyurl.com/2mhc6yne）
5 common causes of insomnia
There are many causes of insomnia, common causes include:
1: Psychological factors: excessive worry, restlessness, excessive excitement, work anxiety, depression, excessive stress, etc.; some mental illnesses can also cause insomnia
2: Lifestyle: working shifts, smoking, drinking caffeinated or other stimulant drinks before going to bed
3: Environmental factors: Noise, light, mosquito bites, and high temperature in the environment can also affect falling asleep
4: Physiological factors: polyuria, cough, pain or sleep apnea
5. Changes in biological clock: such as travel, jet lag
What to eat for insomnia? Recommend 4 kinds of sleep-inducing foods
To improve insomnia, you can eat foods with the following ingredients:
1 Tryptophan
Tryptophan can regulate serotonin, help relax the mood, slow down nerve activity and induce sleepiness. Foods containing tryptophan include milk, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish, meat, eggs, bananas, etc. Among them, bananas have the highest tryptophan content. One and a half hours before going to bed, you can drink no more than 200cc of non-irritating liquid food (such as milk), or eat some fruit (such as a medium-sized banana rich in tryptophan).
2 Vitamin B complex
Vitamin B group can stabilize nerves and help you fall asleep. Eggs, meat, fish, whole grains and root vegetables, beans, and dark green vegetables are all rich in B vitamins.
3 magnesium
Magnesium stabilizes nerves and muscles, and a lack of it can lead to anxiety and depression, both of which can affect sleep. Foods containing magnesium include nuts, beans, milk, whole grains, and dark green vegetables.
4. Calcium
Studies show that disrupted sleep may be related to calcium deficiency. Calcium can help the brain convert amino acids into tryptophan, and tryptophan can regulate serotonin, so calcium is closely related to sleep quality. Foods rich in calcium include milk, anchovies, dried tofu, amaranth, black sesame, kelp, seaweed, kale, etc.
10 ways to deal with insomnia
To prevent insomnia and reduce the chance of insomnia, here are 6 suggestions:
1. Get at least 30 minutes of sun exposure every day: Sun exposure can effectively adjust your biological clock
2. Don’t look at your phone half an hour before going to bed: The strong light from the phone will directly enter your eyes, which will reduce the secretion of melatonin, delay your sleep or reduce your sleep quality. However, it is okay to read before going to bed because the light is reflected into your eyes through the book, so the light is relatively not that strong.
3: Prepare a sleep diary. If you have a lot of worries in your head and can’t sleep, try writing them down. There are also some tips on how to write: （https://tinyurl.com/2mhc6yne）
▸ Be sure to write, don't type or voice input
▸It is recommended to write in the study or living room, or at least not on the bed, to avoid associating insomnia with the bed
▸Can only write for 15 minutes
▸Just write in list form, don’t go into detail, otherwise it will become more and more annoying.
▸After 15 minutes, close the notebook and put it in the drawer immediately, even if you haven’t finished writing. This tells yourself to put your worries aside for the time being.
4: Create a sense of ritual: Tell your body that it’s time to rest after doing this task. Cai Yuzhe pointed out that brushing teeth, reading a book or changing into pajamas before going to bed are all good ways.
5. If you can’t sleep, get up and walk around. Don’t stay in bed all the time.
6. Avoid talking about business or planning work in the room
