Obviously very sleepy, but how can not sleep; Obviously want to go to bed early, but still actively stay up late; Obviously asleep, but always wake up at three or four in the morning...... When night falls, there are always some people who suffer from various kinds of sleep problems. Taking melatonin, napping, and catching up on weekend sleep have also become common ways for people with sleep disorders to combat insomnia and relieve fatigue.

Why is it so sleepy but hard to fall asleep? Does staying up late count as staying up late? Having trouble sleeping, is napping or catching up on weekends feasible? Does melatonin really work? New Health interviewed Meng Fanqiang, deputy chief physician of Beijing Anding Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University and director of the psychological examination Department.

What are the changes in people with sleep disorders?

D: It's getting younger

Poor sleep is becoming a health problem for more and more people. According to the Healthy China Campaign (2019-2030), the average sleep time of Chinese adults is 6.5 hours per day. According to the Chinese Sleep Research Society, the incidence of insomnia among Chinese adults is 38.2%.

Meng Fanqiang felt that in recent years, the number of patients with sleep disorders who took the initiative to see a doctor gradually increased, and in the past, people's attention and awareness of sleep problems were low, but now more and more people realize that insomnia is a disease and choose to go to the hospital.

There is also a change in the age composition of patients. According to him, the proportion of young people with sleep disorders is increasing, including middle school, high school and college students.

Factors such as high pressure of study, fast pace of life, and high use of electronic products can lead to sleep problems. In addition, middle-aged and elderly people, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases, people with long-term excessive fatigue, and people with irregular diets are also more likely to have sleep problems.

Meng Fanqiang introduced that the range of sleep disorders is wide, and "can't sleep, can't wake up, and can't sleep well" are its main manifestations. He reminded that in addition to difficulty falling asleep, falling asleep quickly but often waking up early may also be a sleep disorder, and it is necessary to be alert to whether there are emotional problems such as anxiety and depression.

Why is it so sleepy but hard to fall asleep?

Doctor: An incorrect connection was made to the bed

In life, many people are obviously very sleepy, lying in bed but can not fall asleep. Meng Fanqiang said that sometimes the body feels sleepy, but the brain is still some active, has not yet reached a state of sleep, not necessarily immediately can fall asleep, you can give yourself some time.

He pointed out that overstimulation during the day, frequent use of electronic products before bed, and eating too much at night can make it difficult to relax in bed. In addition, some people focus all their attention on "I need to fall asleep right now," which makes it harder to fall asleep. Some people like to think about something in bed before going to bed, and excessive thinking is also one of the factors that lead to sleep problems.

"People who do not have insomnia will feel very grounded when they see the bed, which is a good connection with the bed." But if you often think about problems in bed, then lying in bed will also unconsciously think about it, this is a wrong, bad connection." Meng Fanqiang said.

He suggested that if something needs planning and thinking, it is recommended to do it in the study and other places, and even make some notes, when the book is closed, these things are handed over to tomorrow, not in bed.

Does staying up late count as staying up late?

Doctor: It depends on the length and regularity of sleep

Some people are used to sleeping late and getting up late, but the sleep time is not short, is it considered as staying up late?

Meng pointed out that a common definition of staying up late is to actively sleep late and have insufficient total sleep duration. "If a person used to go to bed at 11 o 'clock and recently went to bed at 1 o 'clock for a long time, but also got up later, went to bed and got up at a regular time every day, and there was no significant disruption to sleep, such as waking up often in the middle of the night, the impact on the body was not particularly significant."

In response to the statement that "8 hours is the standard of good sleep", Meng said that everyone's sleep needs are different. Most adults only need about seven hours of sleep. One of the most important criteria for good sleep is to see whether you feel full of energy and physical recovery after getting up, rather than simply looking at the length of time.

Can Melatonin cure insomnia?

Doctor: It doesn't help much. Don't take it blindly

Buying and taking melatonin is the choice of many people with sleep disorders. However, Meng Fanqiang suggested that you should not blindly take melatonin. He pointed out that melatonin itself is a health product and cannot replace drugs or some non-drug treatments.

"Some people with shift work and jet lag are fine with occasional melatonin supplementation, but other times, additional melatonin supplementation is not helpful for sleeping difficulties and insomnia disorders." If used for a long time, there may also be some adverse reactions, such as frequent headaches and dizziness. At present, there are no authoritative guidelines in China that recommend melatonin for insomnia." Meng Fanqiang said.

So, sleep problems, when to recommend medical treatment? Meng Fanqiang pointed out that there are few simple insomnia problems, insomnia is often due to some other factors, such as emotional problems, irregular life, sleep breathing problems and so on.

He suggests that you can look for the cause of sleep problems and try to adjust yourself. If the situation does not improve after adjustment, and even the life during the day is significantly affected, it is recommended to go to the hospital.

Do naps and weekends help?

Doctor: People with insomnia are not advised to overdo it