'The old quilt sleeps soundly' is a solid hammer! Research: Covering heavy quilts for 4 weeks can reduce the severity index of insomnia by 50%

In the past six months, Sister Fan's spirit has become worse and worse, and she looks listless and lacking energy. It turned out that since the beginning of spring, Sister Fan's insomnia symptoms have worsened, and sometimes she can't fall asleep all night.

The persistent insomnia caused her mental state to go from bad to worse. Seeing that she was getting more and more depressed, her friend suggested that she try taking melatonin. However, Sister Fan took the medicine for nearly 5 months. Not only did her insomnia not get relieved, but she developed headaches, dizziness, and abdominal discomfort .

Seeing that something was wrong with his wife, Sister Fan's husband hurriedly contacted the hospital. After a series of combined psychological and drug treatments, Sister Fan's condition was successfully relieved, and she returned to a normal life not long ago.

1. The heavier the quilt, the better the sleep? It's real!

Can bedding directly affect sleep? Studies have found that thick quilts are even more conducive to improving sleep quality.

In September 2020, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published a paper in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. By comparing the thickness of the blanket, they found that:

Using a 6-8 kg blanket, within one month, 42.2% of the people's insomnia was improved, and the insomnia of other patients was also effectively improved, with a remission rate of 59.4% ; and within one year, 78% of the people's sleep quality improved significantly Improve and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Recently, a new study found that covering with a thick quilt of about 7kg can significantly improve sleep!

In October 2022, a sleep study led by the Swedish Brain Research Foundation included a total of 26 healthy men and women of normal weight and non-smoking, conducted a two-stage trial, and the trial was published in the Journal of Sleep Research .

In the first stage of the test, participants were asked to cover a thick quilt, which weighed about 7.3 kilograms; in the second stage of the test, participants were asked to cover a lighter blanket, about 1.4 kilograms.

According to the measurement results of the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), it is 0.2±0.2 points higher for those covered with thick quilts than those covered with light blankets, and the higher the KSS score, the easier it is to fall asleep.

In addition, there is also a significant difference in the concentration of melatonin between the two groups. In the case of covering thick quilts, the participants' melatonin concentrations increased by an average of 6.6±0.7pg/mL , which was a significant increase of 32% compared with those covered with lighter quilts. Melatonin can effectively promote sleep, and the higher the concentration of the hormone, the more conducive to deep immersion sleep.

Why does a thicker quilt also promote falling asleep faster?

The researchers analyzed that the thick quilt will bring "pressure" to the skin, activate the skin sensation , and transmit the sensation to the nucleus of the solitary tract in the brain through the spinal cord, and then further project to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. The enhancement of the paraventricular nucleus can keep people calm and peaceful, reduce negative emotions and pain, and promote the secretion of melatonin.

2. Long-term insomnia, what changes will happen to the body?

According to the sleep survey report released by the China Sleep Research Association in 2021, more than 300 million people in China have sleep disorders, and more than 3/4 of them go to bed after 11 o'clock, and 1/3 of them go to bed after 1 am. After falling asleep, the insomnia rate is as high as 38.2%.

Is not sleeping well is insomnia? According to the definition of insomnia in the "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Insomnia in Adults in China", "refers to a subjective experience that patients are not satisfied with sleep time and (or) quality and affects daytime social function" . more than 30 minutes .

One night of insomnia will make people feel tired and anxious the next day, and in addition to short-term effects, long-term insomnia also hides a huge crisis - long-term accumulation of insomnia can induce or aggravate cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes , high blood pressure, etc.

Insomnia can also make people fat, irritable, anorexia, nausea, memory loss, etc.; at the same time, it can also affect the recovery of body functions, resulting in decreased immunity, thereby reducing the body's resistance.

How to improve sleep?

Eat regularly : Do not go to bed on an empty stomach. If you are hungry, it will make you excited and difficult to fall asleep. If you feel hungry before going to bed, you can eat a small amount of milk and snacks to help you fall asleep.

Exercise regularly : Exercise can help relax the body and deepen sleep, but it is best not to engage in strenuous exercise within 3 hours of bedtime.

Avoid alcohol : Alcohol can promote sleep, but it can easily cause early awakening and aggravate insomnia.

Avoid thinking too much : Don't think about the problem all the way to bed. Thinking too much will only interfere with sleep and lead to shallow sleep.

3. Melatonin is the "Gospel for insomnia"? May wish to add 2 kinds of vitamins

At present, after insomnia, many people will take melatonin to fall asleep. What exactly is melatonin? Will long-term use cause dependence or other side effects?

Melatonin, also called melatonin, is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

Clinically used melatonin is "exogenous melatonin", which is generally used as dietary supplements and health products to adjust jet lag . It is suitable for three types of people: shift workers who are on duty at night and sleep during the day; , such as people who can't fall asleep until early in the morning or even dawn; business travelers who need to fight jet lag.

For the general population, taking melatonin for a long time will not be conducive to promoting the body's own melatonin production , and the human body will continue to rely on exogenous melatonin, which will aggravate insomnia.

Secondly, the use of melatonin will increase the burden on the liver and kidney, and can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, headache, and mental anxiety. In addition, taking melatonin in large quantities for a long time may also affect the mental state and distract people. People who drive or engage in dangerous operations should take it with caution .

The daily supplement of 2 kinds of vitamins can also help improve sleep quality.

• Vitamin B12

B12 is an important part of methylation in cell metabolic response, once lacking, it will affect mood and mental state, etc.

Studies have found that for patients with mild insomnia, taking B12 can improve sleep quality and delay mental deterioration. B12 is abundant in animal foods, such as lamb liver, pork liver, clam meat, milk, etc., which are also rich in vitamin B12 .

• Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is also a nutrient that can affect sleep. It is essential in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Once deficient in vitamin B6, it can lead to insomnia, anxiety and confusion .

In recent years, studies have found that eating cereals, such as miscellaneous beans and tender beans and vegetables, contain more B vitamins, which can help improve sleep quality.

Of course, sleep, in addition to its impact on stress, anxiety, and the environment, is also related to sleep and diet. Eat less high-fat, high-sugar, spicy, strong tea, coffee and other foods before going to bed . These foods will affect the burden on the gastrointestinal tract or cause Excitement of the central nervous system may, on the contrary, aggravate insomnia.

When you find that you have persistent insomnia for a period of time, it is best not to take melatonin without authorization. For insomnia that is not caused by melatonin deficiency, it will not work after taking it, and it will aggravate the symptoms of insomnia. If insomnia has caused troubles in life, it is also recommended to seek medical treatment in time.

References:

[1] "The heavier the quilt, the better the sleep!" The latest research shows: Covering with a thick quilt of about 7kg can significantly improve sleep! The reason is... ". Mays Medicine. 2022-10-12

[2] "Sleep disorders are not limited to insomnia, restless sleep and shallow sleep also need attention!" ". Medical Neurology Channel. 2022-03-20

[3] "Headache Relief, Sleep Improvement, Dementia Prevention...! Vitamin B12, the Brain Guard You Don’t Know.” Life Science and Nutrition. 2022-11-07

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