When people reach old age and retire, they suddenly find themselves free from the hectic pace of life and may feel lost and idle. Faced with a loose and unstructured lifestyle, some elderly people may experience feelings of depression and a sense of time dragging on. Some may spend their time watching TV or playing mahjong, while others may stay in bed, sleep more, speak less, and gradually lose interest in various activities and things. This kind of lazy lifestyle can lead to mental decline, rapid physical deterioration, and a succession of illnesses, making one appear haggard and aging prematurely, which is detrimental to overall well-being. In order to ensure sleep quality and fall asleep quickly, attention should be paid to the following five aspects.
(1) Life should be balanced
In general, people's daily routines should follow the natural cycle of day and night. They should work and study intensively during the day and rest and sleep at night, aligning their daily rhythm with the natural world. When elderly people retire and stay at home, they should try to arrange their lives to be fulfilling and compact, so that they can feel relaxed during rest. Over time, this will form a positive conditioned reflex, allowing them to fall asleep faster at night.
(2) Maintain a calm mindset
People often say that old age is a time of wisdom. Elderly people who have experienced the ups and downs of life and have been tempered over a long period of time have accumulated rich knowledge and experience, and have good cultivation. They can handle things rationally and properly. However, some people have a relatively weak will. When they encounter sudden setbacks, they become anxious, restless, and filled with fear and sadness. This leads to severe insomnia or frequent nightmares, and even sleeping pills may not be effective. As a result, their emotional state worsens, their insomnia becomes more stubborn, their quality of life declines, and they experience fatigue in their limbs, dizziness, headaches, and loss of appetite. This creates a vicious cycle. Maintaining a balanced mindset is crucial for maintaining good health.
(3) Wash feet (or take a bath) before sleep
After a busy day, people, especially the elderly, often feel the most fatigue and soreness in their feet. Throughout history, washing feet before bed has been a common habit, especially soaking the feet in warm water. This is very beneficial for relieving physical and mental fatigue at the end of the day, and it is in line with the principles of scientific health preservation. Modern research has shown that washing the feet with warm water can improve local peripheral blood circulation, eliminate fatigue, and stimulate acupoints on the feet to improve brain fatigue, thereby promoting sleep. In ancient China, there was a saying, "Washing feet before bed is better than taking tonics."
(4) Engage in light exercise before sleep
Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol or a glass of milk, listening to relaxing music, watching funny TV shows, or reading a few pages of books, magazines, or newspapers before sleep are all very beneficial for sleep. Practicing qigong, tai chi, or having a conversation with someone can also be helpful. If some fresh-scented air freshener is sprayed in the bedroom, the effect will be even better.
(5) Avoid overeating before sleep
Traditional Chinese medicine states, "If the stomach is not harmonious, sleep will be disturbed." Elderly people should eat smaller dinners and avoid eating too much before sleep. If the stomach is bloated and causing discomfort before sleep, it can affect sleep. Therefore, before sleep, it is advisable to take some digestive aids, such as Baohewan or Muxiang Shunqi Pills, to relieve gastric discomfort and ensure a peaceful sleep.
