(1) Regular daily routine The first thing to emphasize is that there must be regular daily routine, regular daily routine. According to Huangdi Neijing, in a day, the sun is dominant in the daytime and the yin is dominant in the evening. As the sun rises and sets, the qi of Yin and Yang changes alternately. "Therefore, in one day, the sun is dominant, but in the day, the sun is strong and the west is weak, and the valve is closed" ("Su Wen Nu Tian"). Because people want to maintain a harmonious and unified relationship with the yin and yang of heaven and earth, people should work when the sun is dominant during the day and rest when the sun is used at night. Ping Dan, that is, in the morning, the sun is the spirit and people want to get up; In the evening, when Yin Qi is thriving, people will have a rest. If you violate the law of the growth and decline of yin and yang, it will do harm to the human body. For example, some people play mahjong all night and sleep during the day, which is against the law of the growth and decline of yin and yang in nature. Over time, it will definitely have a very adverse impact on their health.
Neijing not only emphasizes the law of one-day growth and decline of Yin and Yang, but also emphasizes the law of four seasons. For example, Su Wen's Theory of Four Temperaments and Spirits points out that in March of spring, it is necessary to "lie down at night and get up early, and stride in the court"; In the summer of March 3, "lying at night and getting up early, insatiable every day"; In autumn and March, we should "go to bed early and get up early, and have fun with chickens"; In winter and March, we should "go to bed early and get up late, and wait for the sun." These are the different work and rest rules of the four seasons under the guidance of the holistic view of "harmony between man and nature". Only in this way can the yin, Yang Qi and blood of the human body be consistent with the changes of yin and yang in the four seasons, thus making the body full of vitality. Adhering to these reasonable work and rest rules for a long time is naturally beneficial to health and achieve the purpose of prolonging life.
(2) Sleep conditioning must be done. Sleep hygiene is an important part of daily life. About one-third of a person's life is spent in sleep, which can adjust the viscera and meridians of the human body and restore the balance of yin, yang, qi and blood. So the quality of sleep has a great influence on people's health. At present, sleep disorder has become a worldwide health problem. According to relevant surveys, about one third of adults in the world suffer from insomnia. In order to raise people's awareness of the importance of sleep, the International Foundation for Mental Health and Neuroscience proposed in 20001that March 2 1 day of each year be designated as "World Sleep Day". 1993 The China Sleep Research Association officially introduced the theme activity of "World Sleep Day" to China in 2003. Sleep conditioning generally includes the following aspects:
Conditioning before going to bed generally includes two aspects: preparation of bedding and matters needing attention before lying down.
(1) Bedding: Whether bedding is suitable or not is one of the key conditions that affect sleep quality. Therefore, people who are good at keeping in good health will inevitably choose and prepare their own bedding.
① The height of the bed should be appropriate. If the bed is too high, bunk beds are inconvenient, especially for the elderly, which is more likely to cause falls and accidents; Too low is easy to get wet. Therefore, the bed should generally be slightly higher than the sleeper's knee.
The hardness of the mattress should be moderate. The mattress is too soft and the body is unevenly stressed, which will cause backache and bone pain, especially for patients with low back pain and disc herniation. Great. I can't sleep. Choose a mattress with moderate hardness, or spread a cotton pad with a thickness of 10 cm on the board.
The quilt should be soft, warm and dry. The selected quilt should be soft, dry and warm, not too heavy. Especially for the elderly, it is more appropriate to choose a thin and close-fitting quilt, such as a silk cotton quilt.
④ The height of the pillow should be moderate. If the pillow is too high, one side of the neck muscles will be overstretched, resulting in stiff neck; Too low will affect the unobstructed respiratory tract. Generally speaking, the height of the pillow is 10 ~ 15 cm, which can be determined according to the individual's physiological radian. If the pillow is too hard, it will exert great pressure on the scalp that contacts the pillow surface, affecting local blood circulation; Too soft will make the head sink too much, so that the head can not maintain a proper height, affecting sleep. So be sure to choose a pillow with moderate hardness. In addition, the length of the pillow is longer than the shoulder.
① Psychological adjustment: If you are in a bad mood before going to bed, it will have a direct adverse effect on the quality of sleep, such as being in a bad mood, being confused by sadness, and thinking too much. It will affect your mind and make you unable to sleep. Therefore, before going to bed, it is best to adjust your spirit, adjust your mood, try to eliminate all distractions and bad emotions, and make your mood stable and quiet, so that you can sleep well. As the health care experts in Song Dynasty pointed out in "Sleep Tactics", "Sleep first, then sleep". Only when you calm down first can you sleep safely and with high quality. Avoid satiety, smoking and stimulating food such as tea, wine and coffee before going to bed. "Essentials of Aging" points out: "Don't eat at night ... Don't lie down when you are full." Don't eat too late and eat too much for dinner, and don't go to bed immediately after eating, which will affect sleep.
③ Do some gentle activities before going to bed: Yan Zi Yin Shu advocated "When you fall asleep every night, you should walk around the room for a thousand steps before you get the pillow". The reason for doing this is that "doing good is to consume physical strength, and it makes sense to think about rest when you are tired, and to return to silence when you move", and "taking a thousand steps is to seek silence by moving". This relaxing walk before going to bed can make you feel relaxed, emotionally stable and help you sleep. Others, such as Ba Duan Jin and Jing Qigong, are also very beneficial to sleep if they are properly practiced before going to bed. However, it is not advisable to engage in too intense and lasting activities before going to bed, so as not to affect sleep and be unhealthy.
④ Do foot health care before going to bed: the foot is the starting and ending point of the three Yang meridians of the foot, the three Yin meridians of the foot and the Yang, Yin, Yin and Yang meridians of the eight odd meridians. Sleeping and waking are physiological phenomena formed by yin and interaction. As the saying goes, "Yang Qi's eyes droop when exhausted, while Yin Qi's eyes droop when exhausted" (Lingshu Kouwen). Therefore, foot health care before going to bed is conducive to adjusting the qi of yin and yang in meridians and is conducive to sleep. The specific method can be to soak your feet with warm water and press Yongquan point on your feet at the same time (Yongquan point is the point of kidney meridian of foot shaoyin, and massage here can nourish kidney qi, communicate with heart and kidney, remove troubles and soothe the nerves. See page 89 for details). This can dredge the qi of yin and yang, unblock meridians and qi and blood, help to eliminate fatigue and make people fall asleep as soon as possible.
Soaking feet with boiling water with drugs also has a good effect on promoting sleep and health care. See chapter 5 of this book for details.
⑤ Qigong exercise can promote sleep: you can sit and lie down, slightly close your eyes and look at your nose, close your mouth and palate, inhale through your nose to dantian, then put down your tongue and let the breath come out of your mouth. The slower the better. Practicing at will every day, regardless of time, can make you sleep better and feel happy.
⑥ Method of exercising meridians: The little finger of the hand belongs to the heart meridian, and the two arms extend horizontally to both sides in a cross shape, so that the little finger bends and stretches 100 times, 1-2 times a day, which can make the mood stable, the spirit happy and the sleep good.
⑦ Rubbing hands and face to promote sleep: Rubbing hands and face is an effective traditional health care method, which can also improve sleep to some extent.
A. Hand rubbing: Rub hands with each other, rubbing palms, backs of hands, fingers, wrists and other parts until the hands are hot. Regular hand rubbing can directly or indirectly massage various organs and tissues of the whole body, thus effectively preventing and treating various diseases. Insomnia is one of the indications, even if it is not insomnia, it can effectively improve sleep.
B. Rub your face: The method of rubbing your face is to rub your hands together, then rub it from your forehead along both sides of your nose to your chin, then go up through your cheeks and return to your forehead, and gently rub it for 36 times. Regular rubbing can also effectively massage the five internal organs, maintain and promote their physiological functions, thus preventing and treating diseases of the five internal organs. Insomnia is also one of the indications of rubbing therapy.
Rubbing hands and face can be done once every morning and evening, or once after work, before and after drinking tea, and during talking and laughing, especially for middle-aged and elderly people and women. This method is more suitable for improving sleep and keeping fit.