🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Sleeplessness, tossing and turning… For modern people, insomnia has become widespread. Although insomnia isn’t a major disease, it brings mental fatigue, drowsiness, depression, irritability, and other distressing effects that deeply trouble those suffering from it.
According to foreign studies, about one-quarter to over half of the population experiences sleep issues. Among these, difficulty falling asleep is most common, followed by interrupted sleep, early awakening, and oversleeping (insufficient sleep). Looking at historical data on insomnia rates in advanced countries, Japan has the lowest rate at around 20%, while the United States reaches as high as 56%. With increasing work stress and lifestyle factors, the number of insomniacs in our country is rising year by year.
Why do humans suffer from sleeplessness? The causes vary, but most stem from neurological conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, and consuming coffee or alcohol before bed. Additionally, poor sleep habits and chronic mental and physical tension are also contributing factors.
Understanding the root causes of sleeplessness enables effective solutions. Generally, this includes establishing personal sleep hygiene, learning relaxation techniques, and appropriately using sleep-assisting tricks. Poor sleep habits are the primary cause of chronic insomnia. These habits may result from work stress or lingering "side effects" of illness. Yet, seemingly minor habits quietly sabotage sleep at night. Identifying and correcting these bad habits—what neurologists call “sleep hygiene”—can produce astonishing results.
Common poor sleep habits fall into the following 10 categories:
· One-size-fits-all type—Everyone has their own biological clock. Many people wrongly believe that failing to sleep 8 hours harms health, forcing themselves to lie down and sleep. In reality, the longer they stay in bed, the worse their sleep becomes.
· Worried-about-the-nation type—Some enjoy thinking about problems before bed, planning tomorrow’s tasks. Getting lost in thought in bed naturally prevents sleep.
· Hesitant-to-move-forward type—After experiencing insomnia, some doubt they can ever sleep well again. As night falls, they begin to worry and fear. But sleep is a natural physiological need. When it's time to sleep, just sleep. The more anxious you are, the harder it is to fall asleep.
· Maximize-utilization type—Sleep, like eating and defecating, requires a dedicated, comfortable space. Reading, eating, chatting on the phone, or watching TV in bed creates an atmosphere of “not wanting to sleep.”
· Installment-payment type—To meet required sleep duration, some choose to “pay in installments,” staying awake at night and napping during the day. Though total sleep time appears sufficient, sleep structure becomes fragmented.
· Second-by-second type—Those who wake up at night often rush to check the alarm clock. Watching the seconds pass makes them increasingly unable to sleep.
· Motionless-as-a-rock type—Sleep is meant for rest. Lack of daytime activity reduces sleep needs. A one-way input without output naturally leads to sleeplessness. For modern people, reduced activity is often a key reason disrupting sleep.
· Heavy-drinking-and-heavy-drinking type—Stimulants disrupt sleep architecture. Avoid coffee, tea, and cigarettes. Small amounts of alcohol may help induce sleep, but they also impair sleep quality—best avoided.
· Impulsive-type—Our biological clocks are fixed. Irregular sleep patterns—sometimes early, sometimes late—make good sleep difficult. It’s recommended to fix your wake-up time, which helps significantly.
· Delayed-action type—Chronic insomnia isn’t just uncomfortable—it affects health. If measures fail to improve symptoms, seek medical guidance and take medication regularly.
Check which poor sleep habit you belong to. Actually, as long as you make improvements, quality sleep is within reach. Additionally, simple sleep aids like a warm bath one or two hours before bed, or a small snack or warm milk before sleep, can help. Of course, relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and self-suggestion training can also help insomniacs fall asleep easily and peacefully. Feng Tao
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