Scientific sleep is men's top-notch tonic: A comprehensive guide from bedroom environment to pre-sleep health.

Sufficient sleep is the best tonic. Why? You may have heard the saying, "Food supplements are not as good as medicine, and medicine supplements are not as good as sleep." Indeed, sleep and diet are the most important aspects of health. People consume a lot of energy during work and study, and in addition to compensating through food, they also need to compensate through sleep. The ancients had a saying, "A hundred doses of medicine are not as good as a good night's sleep," meaning that a good night's sleep is worse than taking tonics. Sleep is not only an important way to replenish and store energy, eliminate fatigue, and restore physical strength, but it is also a crucial link in regulating various physiological functions and stabilizing the nervous system. Sufficient sleep can bring renewed mental and physical energy. Even a 20-minute nap when extremely tired can make you feel as energetic as a car with a full tank of gas.

Insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality often leads to lethargy, difficulty concentrating, headaches, dizziness, muscle aches, and general fatigue. Prolonged sleep deprivation and overwork can cause pathological changes in the body, depleting energy and blood, and damaging the five internal organs. Excessive mental strain damages blood, liver strain damages spirit, spleen strain damages appetite, lung strain damages qi, and kidney strain damages essence, thus laying the groundwork for many diseases. This can be proven by animal experiments. A physiologist conducted an experiment with dogs, providing only water and no food. The dogs survived for 25 days. However, after five consecutive days of sleep deprivation, their body temperature dropped by 4°C. Following 92-143 hours of sleep deprivation, they died. Autopsy revealed significant morphological changes in their central nervous system. Therefore, prolonged sleep deprivation inevitably leads to exhaustion, a conclusion consistent with scientific facts. In real life, few people intentionally choose to "stay awake for extended periods," but many, consciously or unconsciously, work overtime day after day, or spend their time online, playing games, watching TV, reading, or busy with social engagements, depriving themselves of normal sleep time and leading to sleep deprivation. It's important to understand that chronic sleep deprivation and prolonged sleeplessness are only slightly different in degree; the damage to health differs only. Therefore, we must make good use of sleep as a "tonic," treating our bodies and lives with care.

One-third of a person's life is spent sleeping, so the bedroom environment is of utmost importance to everyone. How to create a good bedroom environment? (1) The sleeping space should be small rather than large. Generally, the smaller the sleeping space, the more intimate and safer it feels, without affecting usability. (2) A bedroom facing south or southwest is conducive to sleep. The brain still needs a lot of oxygen during sleep, and a south or southwest direction provides ample sunlight and air circulation, resulting in a very comfortable feeling when sleeping at night. (3) The width of the bed is important; a single bed should ideally be 70 centimeters or more. A narrow bed makes it difficult to fall asleep, as one may subconsciously worry about falling out of bed when turning over. (4) Bedding should be soft, light, warm, dry, and clean; pajamas should be loose, and sheets, pillowcases, mosquito nets, etc., should be washed and aired frequently. (5) It is best to have one side of the bed against the wall, with passageways on both sides. This makes it easy to get in and out of bed, provides a sense of spaciousness, and facilitates air circulation. (6) Keep the bedroom and bedding clean, and do not pile up clutter under the bed to avoid accumulating dirt and attracting the breeding and reproduction of mosquitoes, fleas and rodents.

Doing a good job of pre-sleep health care can not only help you fall asleep easily, but also promote disease prevention and longevity. Here are 8 methods of pre-sleep health care. (1) Finger massage of the head: Bend the index, middle and ring fingers of both hands at 45 degrees and use the tips of the nails to massage the scalp back and forth at a speed of 8 times per second for 1 to 2 minutes. This can promote blood circulation and help you fall asleep quickly. (2) Rubbing the ears with both palms: Place the thumb side of both palms firmly against the lower part of the front of the ears and rub the ears vigorously from bottom to top and from front to back for 1 to 2 minutes. This has the effect of clearing the meridians, clearing heat and calming the mind, and can also protect hearing. (3) Rubbing the face with both palms: Place the palms of both hands firmly against the face and rub all parts of the face vigorously and slowly at a speed of twice per second for 1 to 2 minutes. This can clear the meridians of the head and face, promote sleep and prevent wrinkles. (4) Rubbing the neck and shoulders: Rub the neck and shoulder muscles with both palms vigorously and alternately at a speed of twice per minute, focusing on both sides of the back of the neck for about 1 to 2 minutes. This can relieve fatigue and prevent neck and shoulder diseases. (5) Massage the chest and waist: Use the thumb side of both palms to vigorously massage the lower back and chest from top to bottom at a speed of twice per second, focusing on the chest and lower back, for a total of 2-3 minutes. This can strengthen the heart, improve waist health, and unblock the meridians of the internal organs. (6) Push the legs with palms: Place both hands together, close to the upper part of the lower limbs, and push the lower limbs from top to bottom at a frequency of once per second for 1 minute. Then use the same method to push the other lower limb for 1 minute. This can relieve lower limb fatigue and unblock the six meridians of the feet. (7) Alternate foot rubbing: Rub all parts of the left instep with the sole of the right foot, then rub all parts of the right instep with the sole of the left foot. Then rub the left sole with the right heel, then rub the left sole with the right heel, for a total of 2-3 minutes. This can eliminate foot fatigue and unblock the meridians of qi and blood. (8) Overlapping Palm Abdominal Massage: Place both palms overlapping and firmly on the abdomen, massaging all parts of the abdomen continuously at a speed of 1-2 times per second, focusing on the navel and surrounding area, for a total of 2-3 minutes. This can strengthen the spleen and stomach. When using the above methods for health maintenance, close your eyes, calm your mind, gently press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, and fully relax your limbs. The first seven methods can be performed while sitting, and the eighth method can be performed while lying on your back. The eight methods should be applied in close contact with the skin; the stronger the penetration, the better the effect. The total operation time for the eight methods is about 12-18 minutes. The elderly and weak can perform the methods for 12 minutes, while the young and strong can perform them continuously for 18 minutes.

Pre-sleep relaxation exercises can not only reduce fatigue but also improve sleep quality. Here are seven steps to a pre-sleep relaxation exercise: (1) Neck rotation: Stand upright with arms hanging naturally and stretch your neck as far to the left, right, forward, and backward as possible. If you feel neck pain, you should go to the hospital. (2) Shoulder rotation: Keep your head still and slowly rotate your shoulders forward and backward. (3) Hip lift: First squat down, then stretch your hands behind your back to support your weight; then lift your hips up and slowly bring your hands towards your heels. Return to the starting position after 20 seconds. (4) Arm raise: Place your arms above your head, interlace your fingers, and keep your arms close to your ears. Stretch your arms as far as possible, then separate your fingers and shake your arms naturally in the air to relax your upper limb muscles. (5) Standing: Relax and shake your arms in front of your body to relax your muscles. Use your hands to pound and rub your thigh muscles to relax them. (6) Lying on your back: Support your waist with both hands and try to lift your buttocks and lower limbs into the air, vibrating your lower limbs in the air to relax your thigh muscles; then sit on the bed with your knees bent and rub your calves with both hands to relax your calf muscles. (7) Rolling: Sit on the bed or mat with your hands around your knees, and then roll back and forth in a ball shape. This can relax back muscles and relieve lower back pain symptoms.