A lot of people say, "When you are old, you should go to bed early and get up early, and maintain a regular life and restIt seems that this is the magic weapon of health and longevity, especially for the elderly over 65 years old, we often hear some elderly people themselves say: "I go to bed at ten o'clock every night, get up at six o'clock in the morning, and maintain a regular schedule." ”
It seems that this has become a standard for a healthy life, but as we get older, especially after entering the age of 65, are sleep habits and needs really that simple?Is going to bed early and waking up early really a good thing for the elderly, or is there some possible health risk lurking?
As a doctor who has been working in hospitals for a long time, I have seen many elderly patients and seen many sleep-related problems, and gradually, I have found that after the age of 65, the sleep needs of the elderly are very different from those of young people.
If you continue to maintain the same habit of going to bed early and waking up early, it may affect your health, because as you age, the body's biological clock undergoes some subtle changes, and the elderly do not necessarily need to sleep as long as the young.Instead, you need to adjust your work and rest according to your own physiological changes.
In fact, scientific research and clinical experience have shown that the elderly do need to pay attention to some different key points in terms of sleep, not just insisting on going to bed early and getting up early.
Combined with my many years of work experience in the hospital, I would like to talk to you about several aspects that the elderly over 65 years old should pay special attention to when sleeping to help the elderlyAdjust your sleep habits better and enjoy a healthier, more fulfilling old age.
Have you ever noticed thatMany older people may not have a good time falling asleep at night, and even in the middle of the night, they are awake and tossing and turning in bed.
In fact, with age, the body's endocrine and nervous system will change, especially the secretion of melatonin gradually decreases, resulting in a change in the biological clock of the elderly, which also directly affects their sleep quality, therefore, the sleep of the elderly is very different from the regular pattern when they were young.
I once had a patient in his 70s who came to me and he always complained that he tossed and turned in bed every night,I finally fell asleep, and I always woke up at five or six o'clock in the morning, and I couldn't fall back asleep.
Although he went to bed on time every night, he did not experience the so-called "deep sleep", but was always exhausted during the day, and after careful understanding, I told him that his biological clock had changed,The routine of going to bed early and waking up early is not suitable for him.
Many elderly people do not need 6 hours of sleep like young people, their best sleep time may only be about 0 hours, and it should be adapted to the rules of the body, rather than deliberately prescribed time.
這位患者在調整作息后，適當延遲了入睡時間，同時也不強求一定要早上6點就起床，結果Sleep quality has improved dramatically, and I feel more energetic during the day.
This is an important feature of sleep for older people – it doesn't have to be long, it's necessaryAdjust according to the needs of your body, and maintain a good sleep environment and routine.
After entering the age of 65, the sleep quality and needs of the elderly have changed a lot, and these changes may be completely different from the schedule and rest when they were young, so the elderly should be more in sleepThere are a few key things to look out for.
Older people have different biological clocks than younger people, and melatonin production decreases, making it often harder for older people to fall asleep at night.If you force yourself to go to bed early, it may make it more difficult to fall asleep, leading to psychological anxiety and stress.
Therefore, the elderly do not have to stick to their habit of going to bed early when they were young, if going to bed at 10 o'clock at night can make you sleep comfortably, you can adjust it according to the natural laws of your body, instead of barely falling asleep before 0 o'clock,Excessive anxiety can affect the quality of sleep, forming a vicious circle.
我曾遇到過一位患有高血壓的老年患者，他每晚都強迫自己在10點之前入睡，而不管自己的生理需求，由於入睡困難，He often lies in bed and tosses and turns, and even wakes up in the middle of the night and can't sleep again.
Eventually, I suggested that he adjust his sleep schedule and maintain a relatively fixed sleep schedule every day, not forcing himself to fall asleep before 10 o'clock, but choosing a time that he feels comfortable with.
The regular schedule is not to ask for "going to bed early and getting up early", but to let itYou can form a biological rhythm that is about the same as that of each day, so that you can help improve your sleep.
In order to alleviate the fatigue caused by aging, many elderly peopleI like to have a cup of tea or coffee in the evening and want to refresh myself with a drinkHowever, the irritating components of caffeine and tea can affect the nervous system, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
In particular, the intake of caffeinated beverages at night can disrupt the body's biological rhythm and reduce the quality of sleep, and as a doctor, I often remind my elderly patients that it is best to avoid caffeinated beverages after dinner.
If you really want to drink something at night,Choose warm milk or some non-irritating herbal teas to help you relax and fall asleep.
Proper exercise can help promote sleep, but it is not advisable to do strenuous exercise before going to bed, exercise can promote blood circulation, enhance the secretion of melatonin in the body, and help you fall asleep faster at night, however,Doing excessively strenuous exercise at night before going to bed may excite your body and make it harder to fall asleep.
So, the best course of action is to keep up the daily exercise in moderation,For example, walking, gentle yoga or tai chiThis kind of exercise can not only relieve the physical discomfort of the elderly, but also not affect sleep.
The pursuit of the habit of "going to bed early and waking up early" is not the only right way for the elderly.What is really good for your body is to adjust your work and rest according to your needs, rather than blindly imitating the rules of life when you were young.
As we age, physiological changes change the sleep needs of older people, and forcing ourselves too much to follow the routine of our younger age can have some negative health effects.
Older people should pay attention to relaxation while sleeping,Avoid anxiety, maintain proper exercise, adjust your eating habits, and be flexible in your sleep schedule according to your biological clock.
Only in this way can we ensure adequate rest and high-quality sleep, so that the body can be truly relaxed and recovered, and enjoy a healthier and more comfortable life in old age.
The above content is for reference only, if you feel unwell, please be in timeconsultationProfessional doctor
What do you think about sleeping attention in old age? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
[19] Wu Huihui. Analysis of the current situation and influencing factors of sleep time and insomnia in medical students, Shanghai Nursing, 0-0-0