A once excellent afternoon nap has recently significantly deteriorated in quality. How should I adjust it?

Good day. I am pleased to communicate with you on this platform. From the text, I understand that recently your anxiety/a-once-excellent-afternoon-nap-has-recently-significantly-deteriorated-in-quality-how-should-i-adjust-it-13628.html" target="_blank">afternoon nap has not been optimal. You are often disturbed by the noise from your upstairs neighbors. For a period of time, you have been very sensitive to sounds. Even the slightest noise from upstairs and the surrounding conversations will disturb you from time to time. Your sleep quality has decreased, and the duration of your sleep has shortened, which has affected your mental state for afternoon studies. You feel very tired and deeply troubled by this.

You also mentioned that you have been experiencing such worries since late March. You have negotiated with the students living upstairs, and the noise has improved, but your sleep has not improved significantly. You have also tried various methods to improve your state of susceptibility, including mental suggestion and meditation. While there has been some improvement, your sleep remains light, and you are easily awakened by the slightest noise, which makes you feel insecure.

You mentioned that you resided in a dormitory at the university and that you began experiencing sleep difficulties after late March. Prior to that, did you take naps in the absence of environmental noise? Why were you not affected by these noises previously?

Have you previously encountered this issue? How do you process your emotions in the context of external stimuli?

There are two main factors involved in sensitivity to sound: real-life and psychological. In your previous life, you may have encountered some noise. It is possible that your emotions were stable and relaxed, and that when you were completely relaxed and asleep, your body ignored the noise. Now that you can discuss this topic with others on the platform and that you have used the methods of self-suggestion and meditation, it shows that you are a person with knowledge and that you are aware of the possibility of psychological factors.

Please consider any events in your studies or life since March that have caused you concern or distress. It is possible that your emotions are sensitive and anxious, your body lacks a sense of security, and that these factors have had a slight impact on your subconscious, which may be expressed in your physical body.

There is limited information available, but I hope these thoughts are helpful.

From our brief interaction, I can discern that you are a thoughtful individual with strong comprehension and learning abilities. I hope your concerns will soon be alleviated and that you will succeed in your studies.

From the description provided by the questioner, it can be discerned that...

Every day, I could hear loud noises originating from the upper floor of the residence, such as the movement of furniture or objects being knocked around, or the voices of individuals engaged in conversation outside. For a period of approximately six weeks, I was unable to obtain sufficient rest during the afternoon hours. I observed that I was particularly sensitive to the auditory stimuli emanating from the upper floor, and I would frequently awaken with minimal exposure to sound.

Following a period of approximately six weeks, the noise from the upstairs apartment gradually ceased. However, I still experience difficulties falling asleep due to the presence of noise. If I am able to fall asleep, I feel excessively fatigued and my mental state is impaired upon waking. I experience a sensation of sleepiness every afternoon and require a period of restorative sleep to recuperate. Previously, even a brief period of sleep, approximately 30 minutes, would result in a notable sense of refreshment.

In response to the questioner's inquiry, I offered the following advice:

The original incident has been addressed, yet its ramifications persist. Two potential explanations emerge: firstly, that the questioner's living environment is inherently unsettling, necessitating prolonged adaptation to environmental shifts; secondly, that the questioner is susceptible to external influences, developing an enduring apprehension in the face of novel stimuli. It is plausible that the questioner exhibits sensitivity and diminished tolerance for boredom.

One potential solution is to rebuild a sense of security in one's environment and address the underlying feelings of unease.

Furthermore, there may be a more profound underlying cause for this behavior. In general, once an event has concluded, individuals tend to rapidly resume their preexisting state of mind, and the effects are typically transient. It is possible that the questioner should contemplate whether there are additional, unidentified issues at play.

Hello, dear questioner! I can see that the noise upstairs is really affecting your sleep. It's so frustrating when that happens! It's not just about getting a good night's rest, but also about using your energy in the best way possible. When we don't get enough sleep, it can really take a toll on us in the afternoon, and we end up feeling pretty run down.

Hugging you, not sleeping well can really make people feel upset. I'm here to share some of my thoughts in the hope that they'll open up your thinking. I know my ideas might be a bit unexpected, but I really hope you can read them.

First, take a moment to think about what you want to achieve. You're hoping to feel full of energy and in good physical and mental shape for your afternoon studies. Before, you were able to achieve this state by taking a high-quality nap at noon. When this high-quality nap was disrupted, your good state was broken, and you're not sure how to get back to your previous state, which is totally understandable!

You've already found some great alternatives, like lying on the table for a bit when you're feeling sleepy in the afternoon. But you're not quite ready to accept them yet, and you still expect to go back to your usual routine, so your mood is all over the place. It's totally normal! After work, it's tough for most people to take a nap at noon. Everyone has different ways of dealing with it, like drinking coffee or tea, going to bed early, etc. Lying down for a bit if you're really tired is also a great way to recharge. If you can let go of the worry that "if you don't sleep well at noon, you'll be tired in the afternoon..." and focus on "close your eyes at noon and take a rest" (or try other ideas to reduce your stress and focus), you'll feel more calm and relaxed, and it'll be easier to fall asleep.

Now, let's take a look at how to get your good sleep back again.

When you're sleeping, your eyes are closed and your ears are open. Your ears are there to help you avoid danger. So if you're awakened, your heart might start beating a little faster. This is to increase the blood supply to your body so that you can escape as quickly as possible. But even though you know it's safe, your subconscious mind has still recorded the danger. If you're awakened for the first time and disturbed for half a month in a row, your mind will think this place is dangerous. You'll be more sensitive to sound and your sleep will change from deep sleep in a safe area to shallow sleep where you're still concerned about danger. It's easy to dream and wake up, and you might still feel tired.

It can be tough to convince the subconscious mind that the danger has passed. If you can switch to a more comfortable environment to sleep, that's great! If you can't change the environment, you can still make adjustments little by little.

We've got your back! Here are some helpful suggestions:

— If you can't sleep, don't worry! It's not too late to sleep when you're tired.

It's totally okay to take your time getting back to a good night's sleep. There are lots of ways to refresh yourself, and there's no need to worry if you can't sleep.

– Why not try some meditation and breathing exercises before bed to help you relax?

Mornings can be tough, but there are ways to make them easier! Try doing some exercise in the morning to tire your body out and help you feel sleepy.

- Try reading your textbook in a relaxed position before bedtime. It's a great way to help your mind unwind!

- Another great tip is to listen to white noise with headphones to help you sleep. There are lots of different sounds you can choose from, like rain, waves, or the crackling of firewood. There's even an app called "Sleep as Little" that provides a variety of sleep sounds!

I really hope you can get back to having quality sleep soon!

Hello, thanks for inviting me. I really want to take a good nap, but I just can't. The physical and psychological discomfort it brings will affect my studies and overall well-being.

If we don't get a good night's sleep, it can affect our mood, energy, behavior, relationships, learning, and every aspect of our lives.

If this situation persists, it'll affect our mental health. So, we'll all work together to create a good sleeping environment for ourselves.

But first, the environment is something you have to think about, and sleep itself requires the combined action of your own body and mind.

There's a saying that "haste makes waste." Sometimes, when we set too many specific requirements for ourselves, we end up being less satisfied with the result.

Now that the issue upstairs has been resolved, it's still affecting his psychology.

Is it possible to sleep well today? When you keep thinking about it, using part of your brain to ponder the uncertain answer, and you can't let your body and mind relax and sleep, how can you have a good night's sleep?

When you're tired, you can quickly fall asleep and recharge by resting your head on your desk. This is a great way to get some rest when you're really tired.

Secondly, anyone can make sure they get a great nap, which is a treat that's not easy to come by.

We all love a good nap, but it's important not to overdo it. Try lowering your expectations a bit first. Lie down, relax, and imagine yourself lying in a peaceful sea of flowers, surrounded by a calm, light blue pool. Just enjoy the peace and relaxation, and don't worry about falling asleep.

If you rest like this, you might fall asleep slowly, or you might not. Either way, having a calm and comfortable body and mind is a great way to rest and recover.

Finally, there are a few tips you can try out, such as:

First, try to develop the habit of exercising. After lunch, take a 15-minute walk in the sunshine before taking a nap.

2. Have a read of a boring book, do some bedtime meditation exercises, or keep a mood diary, etc.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, if your stomach isn't in harmony, you'll have a hard time sleeping peacefully. It's best to avoid eating before bed, as certain foods can affect your sleep. This includes coffee, chocolate, and tea.

It's important to pay attention to your diet. Try to eat more bananas, dates, and protein foods, and less spicy and stimulating foods.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the best sleeping position is on your right side with your legs slightly bent. This helps relax all of our muscles. Our heart is on the left, and sleeping on the right side can also reduce the pressure on the heart. It can also help food move towards the duodenum. You can slowly get into the habit of sleeping on your right side.

I really hope this helps.

I'm a psychometric coach at Yixinli. If you want to keep chatting, just click "Find a coach" in the top right or bottom of the page, and I'll get back to you.

Hello, I believe I can sense some anxiety, irritability, and worry in your description.

From what I can see, you are a person who has high standards for yourself in all aspects of your life, and you work hard and have self-discipline.

You have also expressed that you have certain expectations regarding the quality of your naps. For the past half month, there have been instances where a number of external factors have made it challenging for you to fall asleep.

After communication and adjustment, you have been able to get some sleep on occasion, but the quality is not as high as you would like. You also feel very tired after sleeping, and often feel sleepy in the afternoon, which affects your energy in the afternoon.

It seems that you would like to adjust your nap, but you're not quite sure how to go about it. Is that correct?

It seems that the more you want to sleep, the less you can sleep. If you can't sleep well during your nap, you may find that you have less energy for the rest of the afternoon, which could be quite distressing.

The quality of your nap may be affected by some external emotional issues.

If it isn't too much trouble, could you try to recall whether anything in particular has made you feel nervous or anxious recently?

It is also possible that your feelings of anxiety are affecting your sleep. Unrelieved anxiety can sometimes result in feelings of tiredness, changes in sleeping habits and a decline in sleep quality.

It's possible that the root cause may not be sound or other external factors, but it's also possible that some of your emotions may not have been dealt with and released as well as they could have been.

It might be helpful to try to be more relaxed.

It appears that you may be associating a lack of sleep with reduced energy levels during the afternoon.

This line of thinking can cause your nerves to become quite tense, which in turn makes it more difficult to fall asleep and can result in less restful and lower-quality sleep.

If you are unable to sleep, you might consider trying to go without sleep and observe the potential consequences for your work and life in the afternoon. Could you accept those consequences?

If no irreparable damage occurs, you might consider not taking a nap at midday. Alternatively, you could explore other ways to compensate for the consequences of not napping at midday, such as taking a short nap when you feel sleepy in the afternoon.

It might be helpful to consider that it's okay to allow yourself not to sleep when you try to be less standard and strict with yourself.

It might be helpful to try relaxing and letting go of the idea that you have to take a nap. This could help you feel more comfortable, more at ease, and more likely to fall asleep.

I wish you the best of luck!

We'd love to hear from you! Please reply to this system notification. Thank you so much for trusting us and giving us the chance to chat with you via text.

From a nice, restful nap to a recent period where sleep quality has been a bit off, the process has gone through some ups and downs. At first, external noises were a bit disruptive, but they've gradually become quieter. Unfortunately, though, the good sleep hasn't returned yet. I can sense the questioner's anxiety and helplessness, and I'm here to help!

It's so great to see that the questioner has been trying so hard! They've been using some mental suggestions and meditation, which has had a positive effect. They've also become less sensitive to sounds from upstairs, which is fantastic! However, they are still easily woken up by loud noises. While it hasn't met expectations, these efforts will help the questioner gradually regain the high-quality afternoon nap they are looking forward to.

I know this kind of repetition is really tough. I really hope that what I'm sharing here can help you feel a little bit better.

1. It's totally normal for it to take a little while for your body clock to adjust. When you wake up in the middle of the night, try to remind yourself that your body clock is just trying to find its rhythm again.

After a month or two of being bothered by external sounds, the objective environment finally improved. But don't worry! Your biological clock also adapted to the external conditions during this upheaval.

So, it might take a little while to get back to that good sleep you were having before. It's a bit like a wound on your skin needing time to heal – your body clock needs time to readjust too.

If you happen to wake up because of a sound or after 20 minutes, don't worry! It's just your body clock adjusting to the new environment and finding its own rhythm.

If you're still feeling restless, try focusing on your breathing and your body sensations. You could think about your heartbeat, or the sensations of your hands and feet in contact with the bedclothes. By enhancing your body sensations, you can return to a peaceful state of mind and promote further sleep.

2. If you're really struggling to sleep, why not try resting quietly to recharge your batteries?

It's funny how sleep can be so tricky! The more you try to control it, the less likely it is to happen.

At this time, it's probably best to just let things take their course.

From what the questioner said, it seems like they're looking to nap to give them more energy in the afternoon. But having more energy in the afternoon isn't just about napping!

Sometimes, just closing your eyes and relaxing can have a wonderful, miraculous effect on restoring your energy.

So, if you're really struggling to sleep, just close your eyes and let your mind wander. Don't worry about trying to fall asleep again, just relax your body and mind, daydream, or use the progressive muscle relaxation method. This is where you first tighten a certain muscle in your body and then relax it. It's a great way to help you feel more energised when you're having trouble sleeping.

3. You might want to make a few little tweaks to the mental suggestion and meditation to help you cope with the poor state of your nap more easily.

There aren't any details in the message about the mental suggestion and meditation, but if you'd like, it's probably best to follow a professional or guided audio-visual meditation. Different meditations can really affect your nap, so it's worth trying a few to see what works best for you!

There's still more that we can try in this part to find the perfect solution for helping you sleep.

I'm not an explorer of human nature, but I am a therapist who cares about the human heart. I wish you well!

I'm just a psychologist who cares about the human heart, not one who explores human nature. I wish you well!

Hello. I give you a 360-degree hug.

I just woke up from a nap, and I still feel tired. I'm too busy to take a long nap, but I can take a nap every day, which I know is very helpful for restoring energy.

When I take a nap, the students at the school downstairs are participating in extracurricular activities. I close the window, but it's stuffy inside, and if I leave it open, it's noisy. And there's the sound of a power drill from the renovation somewhere.

They sleep soundly because they are very tired. Once they relax, they fall asleep easily.

I also have the habit of light sleep, which is when you are about to fall asleep, especially at night. A very small sound gives me the feeling of holding a wooden stick and suddenly knocking on my nerves, with a tingling feeling spreading along the nerves from the brain to escape. I hate it when this happens.

It's infuriating when your sleep is interrupted or when you're unable to sleep due to various noises. We can't demand that others behave in a certain way, which is frustrating.

You need to cancel your afternoon nap. Don't nap. Get up and do something, like read, watch a show, etc.

Don't disturb others. Don't waste your willpower on coaxing yourself to sleep. Let nature take its course. Just go to bed without doing so.

You don't need to sleep for eight hours or take a nap. The book "The Sleep Revolution" says one of our sleep cycles is one and a half hours, so five to six sleep cycles per night is enough. That's 7 and a half to 9 hours. Some people may need as little as six hours.

If you get enough sleep at night, you can skip the nap. You can read this book.

If you take naps during the day, you can adjust your biological clock to stop taking them.

I'm not sure if this method will solve your problem, but you should definitely give it a try.

From a psychoanalytic perspective, it can be said with certainty that people who are afraid to sleep are afraid of death.

Psychoanalysis tells us that we all fear death. Sleeping is, to some extent, similar to death. When we fall asleep, we close our senses and temporarily cut off our connection with the world. People who are seriously afraid of death are afraid that if they fall asleep, they may not wake up.

This is all subconscious, and we are not aware of it.

You said it started two months ago, so I don't know what happened two months ago. I'm certain the noise that is affecting your nap now also existed two months ago.

I don't know how your sleep at night is like, but I can tell you that if there are similar situations, such as sleeping late or not sleeping well, etc., they will affect your daytime sleep.

The above is just theoretical and does not reflect your specific situation.

You should talk to a counselor. All universities must have one, and it's free.

I am a counselor who is often depressed and occasionally positive. The world and I love you.

Dear question owner,

It seems that your lack of sleep has disrupted your routine and affected the quality of your life and studies. I can appreciate how distressing this must be for you.

From my observation, it seems that you may be particularly sensitive to sounds. Initially, the noise from upstairs seemed to keep you awake, which is a common experience. Many people may have a similar reaction. Once there was no noise upstairs, it seemed that your sleep returned to a more normal rhythm.

After negotiating with the people upstairs to keep the noise down, you were able to fall asleep through meditation and mental suggestion.

It appears that your sleep has not yet returned to its previous state, and there have been some changes in your sleeping patterns.

I tend to be easily awakened by noises (previously, these noises did not affect my sleep). If I can "fall asleep," whether I am awakened or not, I will be dazed for half an hour at most. After getting up, I find that I am very tired and in a poor mental state, just as if I had not slept at all. I feel drowsy every afternoon and can only recover by lying down at my desk and taking a nap for a while. Previously, even if I only slept for half an hour, my mental state was much better than it is now.

It might be the case that you either get woken up repeatedly by noises and fall asleep repeatedly, and find yourself completely awake in less than half an hour, or you won't be woken up by noises and will automatically wake up after 20-odd minutes (previously, you may have needed to sleep for more than 40 minutes to regain your energy).

It is thought that human sleep has its own rhythm, which is known as the biological clock. This is believed to regulate sleep patterns independently.

It might take some time for your sleep to return to normal, and it's possible that your body clock is still adjusting. Given that you were interrupted for quite some time, it's understandable that it might take a while to fully recover.

It is also important to remember that everyone's characteristics are different. Some people may recover more quickly than others, and there can be individual differences in the way our bodies adjust to changes. It is natural to feel anxious about this, but it is also important to be patient with ourselves and our bodies as they go through these changes.

Perhaps it would be helpful to pay less attention to your sleep.

It may seem as though you're paying a little too much attention to your sleep. This is a common human psychological trait: the more you pay attention to something, the more you don't want it to go wrong, and the more likely it is to go wrong. This is a kind of negative feedback. It's possible that deep down, you actually want it to go wrong, and your subconscious mind may be playing a role.

It is also worth noting that insecurity can have an impact on sleep.

If you are able to achieve a state of complete relaxation and ease, you will likely find that you sleep more peacefully.

Previous experiences of interrupted sleep may have triggered some feelings of insecurity. It's possible that you're always on edge when you sleep, unable to let go and feel relaxed, which might affect the quality of your sleep.

You might find it helpful to hug a comfortable pillow, pillow, stuffed animal, etc., to help eliminate nervous and restless emotions, feel warm and safe inside, and improve the quality of sleep.

You might also consider doing some deep breathing before going to bed, which could help improve the quality of your sleep.

It may be helpful to try to relax, accept yourself and your surroundings, and find peace in the midst of chaos. Remaining calm could be a useful approach to help you sleep peacefully.