Improve your family's respiratory health with this nighttime gift

Author: Ling Fang, Respiratory Department, Xiangdong Hospital Affiliated to Hunan Normal University. Reviewer: ZS. Special contributor from Hunan Medical Chat. Follow @HunanMedicalChat for more health science information.

Title: Improve your family's respiratory health with this nighttime gift. Introduction: Late nights during Spring Festival can harm respiratory health. Experts advise maintaining a regular schedule and healthy diet. Staying up late during the Spring Festival is a traditional custom, but repeated sacrifices of sleep and disruption of routines can have significant negative effects on our bodies, particularly our respiratory system. This cannot simply be compensated for by 'catching up on sleep.' How staying up late quietly weakens the respiratory defense line is crucial to understanding these effects. Disruption of the biological clock can lead to issues with the respiratory system's protective mechanisms. Each cell in the human body has an internal biological clock, including the mucosal cells of the respiratory tract. Nighttime is critical for repairing the respiratory tract mucosa and facilitating the movement of cilia to clear out foreign particles. Staying up late disturbs this cycle, resulting in disordered mucus secretion, which weakens our first line of defense against viruses and bacteria by either thinning or thickening the mucus; it also slows ciliary movement, leading to a 30%-40% drop in clearance efficiency, making it easier for dust and pathogens to remain in the lungs. Research indicates that not getting enough sleep (less than 6 hours for three consecutive days) can lower the activity of immune cells by nearly 30%. The Spring Festival coincides with a peak flu season, making late nights akin to opening the door to pathogens: natural killer cells decrease, which are crucial in eliminating virus-infected cells, and an imbalance in inflammatory factors can easily trigger excessive airway reactions, worsening asthma and bronchitis. Additionally, staying up late can activate the sympathetic nervous system, putting it in a constant state of over-excitement, leading to involuntary increases in the speed and shallowness of breathing, causing lower lung alveoli to not expand fully, thus reducing gas exchange efficiency and dropping blood oxygen saturation at night, where levels may be 5%-10% lower than normal.

A Complete Guide to Respiratory System Recovery After Staying Up Late During the Spring Festival: Phase One: Morning Awakening Section (Within 30 Minutes After Waking Up): Drinking 200-300 milliliters of warm water at around 40°C helps to dilute and expel mucus that has accumulated in the respiratory tract during the night. The 'Chaoyang Breathing Method': Stand facing a window or balcony with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale slowly for 4 seconds, imagining inhaling golden sunlight into your lungs. Hold the breath for 7 seconds, feeling the oxygen flowing in the blood. Slowly exhale for 8 seconds while imagining expelling fatigue and stale air. Repeating this 10 to 15 times can effectively increase blood oxygen saturation by 2% to 3%. Phase Two: Daytime Repair Section includes dietary strategies for lung protection. A recommended breakfast would combine high-quality protein (such as eggs or soy milk) with fruits high in Vitamin C (such as kiwis or oranges). Highly recommended is lily, tremella, and almond soup: take 10g of lily, half a piece of snow fungus, 15g of southern apricot kernels, and 500ml of water. Blend and heat into a smooth paste. The effects include moisturizing the lungs and promoting the repair of respiratory mucous membranes. It is also advised to take a 20-30 minute nap between 1-3 PM with the important principle of not napping for more than one hour to avoid disrupting nighttime sleep. Stage Three: Specialized Training for Respiratory Function includes diaphragmatic breathing strengthening exercises: Lie on your back with a pillow under your knees, one hand on the chest and one on the abdomen; inhale deeply through your nose for 3 to 4 seconds, noticing your abdomen rise while your chest stays still. Pucker your lips and slowly exhale (for 6 to 8 seconds) as if whistling. This should be done twice a day for 5 to 10 minutes each time. Airway cleaning techniques such as the hocking method (exhaling in short bursts using 'ha, ha, ha' after a deep breath) and effective coughing (suggestion to perform a few abdominal breaths, then hold the last breath for 3 seconds before leaning forward and coughing 2-3 times) are also beneficial.

Key Protection Points for Special Groups After Staying Up Late include chronic respiratory disease patients who should measure peak flow and adjust medication contacting their physician if symptoms worsen. The elderly should sit on the bed for a few minutes after getting up to avoid breathlessness caused by position changes, maintain appropriate humidity in their bedroom, and monitor blood oxygen levels with an oximeter. Children and adolescents can benefit from breathing games and should limit screen time the day after staying up late to reduce shallow and rapid breathing. New Ideas for Celebrating the New Year with Health in Mind emphasize that New Year's Eve can be celebrated without jeopardizing health; for instance, using the segmented New Year's vigil approach to spend quality time together before commencing preparations for sleep before 12:30 AM. Upon the arrival of the New Year, the family can collectively do a 5-minute 'Reunion Breathing Exercise' to promote lung health.

An alert for medical attention requires seeking help from Xiangdong Hospital Affiliated to Hunan Normal University if persistent breathing difficulties occur or if there is a cough with yellow-green mucus or blood-streaked sputum. The Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, and health forms the foundation of this. This year, consider giving your family the gift of health by teaching them these breathing protection techniques, intertwining health and tradition, ensuring every breath is filled with energy and tranquility. Remember: The best holiday gift is protecting our family’s ability to breathe freely.