【Did you know that wearing socks can help you sleep better? Four ways to increase your deep sleep】

⦾ Did you know that wearing socks to bed can help you fall asleep?
⦾ Did you know that poor sleep quality can have negative effects on your health?
⦾ Do you know how to improve your sleep quality?

Poor sleep quality can affect both physiological and psychological health, causing imbalances in the body's endocrine and autonomic nervous systems. People with severe sleep problems need to pay attention to this issue to avoid disruptions to their daily lives and work. Lack of sleep can lead to emotional instability, reduced judgment, lack of concentration, eye discomfort and puffiness, drooping eyelids, poor skin condition, and weakened immune system. According to a survey by the Taiwan Sleep Medicine Association, 40% of the population has poor sleep quality, with an average sleep time of less than 7 hours. Therefore, improving sleep quality has become a major issue. Here are four ways to improve sleep quality: wearing socks to sleep, reducing screen time before bedtime, maintaining a comfortable sleep environment, and engaging in relaxation techniques.

1.Making good use of temperature regulation tools
The National Sleep Foundation in the United States states on its website that "evidence suggests that using socks or other methods to warm the feet may lower your core body temperature and help you fall asleep faster." Therefore, wearing socks to bed can warm up the feet, increase blood flow to the feet, and expand blood vessels. At this time, the body releases heat through the skin, lowering core body temperature and telling the brain that it's time to sleep, allowing the brain to quickly enter the sleep cycle and the body to fall asleep faster.

In the cold winter, the temperature often makes people feel cold and unable to sleep well. At this time, wearing a pair of wool socks or far-infrared socks can help regulate the core body temperature, keep warm, and prevent hot flashes, reduce the risk of Raynaud's syndrome, improve cracked heels, and promote blood circulation. However, it is important to note that you should not wear socks with tight bands to avoid the opposite effect of poor blood circulation. If you still feel not warm enough and unable to sleep well with socks on, you can also use an electric blanket and control the temperature at around 30 degrees for 1-2 hours, which is the most comfortable and safe way. In summer, you can run the air conditioner at around 20 degrees before going to bed and maintain the indoor temperature until the morning. At the same time, you should pay attention to the humidity in the bedroom. Air conditioning can increase humidity, which can affect the human body. Only in a low humidity environment can people effectively dissipate heat and feel cool. Therefore, controlling the dryness and wetness of the air is also a major issue to consider!



2.Creating a temperature suitable for sleep
Research has shown that the temperature suitable for sleeping can be divided into "bed temperature" and "indoor temperature".The ideal average bed temperature for human sleep is between 30.3°C and 32.5°C. The Cleveland Clinic suggests that the ideal bedroom temperature for sleep is around 16 to 20 degrees Celsius because this temperature can naturally lower body temperature and promote sleep.During sleep, the body's core temperature slowly decreases, causing blood vessels to dilate and the body and mind to relax, gradually entering deep sleep. The sleep medicine journal "Sleep Medicine Reviews" published an article stating that taking a short 10-minute hot shower, foot bath, or full-body bath in the last 1-2 hours before bedtime can significantly improve overall sleep quality, shorten sleep onset time by about 10 minutes, and effectively improve sleep quality, enabling people to fall asleep faster and better, and allowing the sympathetic nervous system to gradually calm down and relax, stabilizing tense emotions.



3.Improving the environment
Before sleep, humans use their most direct sense - smell - to calm nerves, relieve stress, relax tension, and reduce anxiety. Natural fragrances can affect the brain's limbic system, which controls emotions, allowing restless moods during the day to calm down and helping to fall asleep faster. The mattress on which you sleep is also crucial. An uncomfortable mattress can shorten sleep time by about an hour. If you are not comfortable with your current mattress or it is nearly ten years old, it is time to change it to ensure sleep quality! Light is the most important factor that affects sleep. Ideally, the room should be completely dark when you sleep, and you should wake up to natural bright light to not only sleep well but also wake up energized the next morning!

In addition to the above, remember to keep the air flowing to prevent high levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen deficiency in the bedroom. Also, clean regularly and reduce dust. If necessary, you can use an air purifier to help maintain fresh air, increase oxygen levels in the air, and reduce indoor dust.



4.Develop good sleep habits
Listening to relaxing music, reading a book, doing stretching exercises, taking a hot bath, or meditating before bedtime can help calm your emotions and promote sleep.Try to avoid drinking coffee or alcohol before bedtime, as caffeine takes about 6 hours to metabolize and can keep you awake during that time. Some people may think that a small amount of alcohol can help with sleep, but this is actually a mistake! Even a small amount of alcohol can reduce sleep quality by about 9.3%. In addition, try not to use your phone or computer before bedtime as the blue light emitted from the screens can stimulate the secretion of cortisol and reduce the production of melatonin, which can make you feel less sleepy when it's time to sleep.

In addition to developing good sleep habits before bedtime, you can also establish a regular sleep and wake-up time. Consistent sleep patterns can help your body and mind establish a sleep routine, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally in the morning. A regular sleep rhythm can improve sleep quality.



2023-02-17