Sleeping more ≠ sleeping better

Recently, a patient asked: I always feel sleepy during the day, and I still want to sleep after taking a nap, or even sleep from day to night. Does this mean that my body needs rest or I am sick? For this kind of situation that I feel sleepy all the time, wake up when called, and fall asleep again after waking up, Chinese medicine calls it "multiple sleeps", which means sleepiness.

Why do we feel sleepy?

1. Poor sleep quality at night. Falling asleep late or waking up easily due to frequent dreams leads to insufficient sleep at night. If you don’t sleep well at night, you will naturally have to make up for it during the day.

2. Environmental factors. The small, dark, and poorly ventilated work and study spaces that cause a stuffy and hot environment can also make people want to sleep.

3. Pathological factors. Some diseases can cause cerebral ischemia, hypoxia or adverse reactions after medication, which may cause sleepiness, such as malnutrition, rhinitis, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, depression, etc.

How can you spend a day full of energy?

1. Ensure adequate sleep at night, go to bed early and get up early. The best sleep duration at night is 8-10 hours for teenagers, 7-8 hours for adults, and the elderly can reduce the sleep time appropriately. A nap of about half an hour is appropriate.

2. Eat a scientific and reasonable diet. Eat a balanced diet, increase the intake of dietary fiber and water, avoid high-sugar, high-fat, and high-salt foods, and properly control total energy intake to maintain good health. You can also drink light tea in moderation during the day to stimulate the central nervous system.

3. Moderate outdoor exercise. Moderate exercise can accelerate blood circulation, increase heart vitality and lung respiratory function. Gentle and slow exercises such as jogging and Tai Chi are good choices.

4. Keep a calm mind. Extreme joy or sorrow can easily make people tired and exhausted. Keeping a balanced mind is also one of the ways to avoid sleepiness. If you often keep yourself in a state of "being open-minded", your body and mind will be healthier.

The editor reminds everyone: Long-term sleepiness may be a signal of illness, so you must take it seriously and seek medical attention in time.