Why is a sofa easier to sleep on than a bed
Many people have experienced this: after a hard day, lying in bed tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, but quickly feeling sleepy while watching TV or scrolling through their phones on the sofa. The contrast between "easy to sleep on the sofa and difficult to sleep in bed" hides key factors that affect sleep, and there are also practical ways to improve it.
1、 The core reason why sofas are easy to sleep on and difficult to sleep in bed
The reason why sofas can quickly generate drowsiness cannot be separated from the combination of multiple comfortable conditions: dim light, suitable temperature, the wrapping feeling brought by soft fabrics, and the "background sound relaxation effect" of TV or phone sound, all of which can make people unconsciously relax. But more importantly, the sofa does not convey the psychological suggestion of 'must sleep' like a bed - this suggestion is precisely the enemy of sleep.
When a person lies in bed, if they are worried about insufficient sleep, slow sleep, or tangled up in chaotic thoughts caused by work pressure, they will fall into an anxiety cycle of "the more they want to sleep, the more they cannot sleep". A survey shows that 36% of people with sleep problems are trapped in a vicious cycle because they are worried about not being able to sleep. They can even fall asleep in non sleep scenes such as offices and cinemas, but find it difficult to relax in bed.
2、 4 practical methods to help you improve your sleep
1. Create a sense of "bedtime ritual"
Take the initiative to put down your electronic device one hour before bedtime, change into loose and comfortable pajamas, soak your feet in warm water, and switch your body from "work mode" to "relaxation mode". Afterwards, you can close your eyes and rest with gentle music or white noise, and form a memory of "ritual=time to sleep" in your body through a fixed process.
2. Learn to 'empty your mind'
If you always suffer from insomnia due to overthinking, you can try this trick: set a 10 minute "exclusive thinking time" before bedtime, focus only on the things you are struggling with, and force yourself to stop as soon as the time is up; Or write your concerns on paper, the process of writing can help you clarify your thoughts and reduce the feeling of losing control; Try to improve work efficiency during the day, avoid high-intensity mental labor after work, and do not leave room for "thinking" at night.
3. Cultivate the conditioned reflex of 'getting sleepy when you see the bed'
Don't wait to sleep as soon as you touch the bed. You can move around in the living room, sofa, and other areas first, and wait until you feel sleepy before going to bed; If you still don't feel sleepy after lying down for 30 minutes, don't force yourself to endure. Get up and do some low-intensity relaxation activities (such as folding clothes, reading a few pages of a relaxing book), and when you're tired, go back to bed. After repeated training, the body will gradually bind "bed" and "sleep".
4. Maintain a regular sleep pattern
The recommended sleep duration for adults is 7-8 hours, with 6 hours being the baseline. Try to set a fixed bedtime and wake-up time every day, even on weekends, do not wake up more than an hour late, to avoid disrupting your biological clock and disrupting your sleep rhythm.
3、 An easily overlooked sleep misconception
Don't overly rely on smart bracelets, sleep monitoring apps, and other tools. Some people believe that excessive focus on "sleep scores" and "deep sleep duration" can actually make people unconsciously anxious before going to bed - "How many scores can you get today? Will you not sleep well again?" This kind of worry can interfere with falling asleep, and it is better to let nature take its course to obtain good sleep.
In fact, the brain needs a slow transition from wakefulness to sleep, whether it is reducing anxiety, creating a sense of ceremony, or maintaining a regular schedule, the core is to help the body and mind relieve stress. Only in a relaxed state can one truly have a peaceful sleep.