Recent years have seen accelerated development of the plateau tourism industry. Large numbers of tourists come to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to appreciate the magnificent landscape and unique culture. However, due to oxygen deficit and other reasons, some tourists will suffer short breath, chest distress and bad sleep during their first visit to the plateau.

According to the research of Li Wenxiang, a doctor of the Qinghai Red Cross Hospital and an expert in high altitude sickness, many people during their sleep will have hypoxemia to different degrees, meaning relatively low oxygen content in blood. One of the symptoms is a rapid eye movement sleep for a long time, making it hard to achieve the desired sleep effect.  

Experts suggests that if finding difficulty in sleep, the visitors to the plateau for the first time can take health food rich in Herba Rhodiolae or inhale an appropriate amount of oxygen. In case of severe symptoms, it is advisable to take medicine to adjust sleep at the suggestion of doctors.  

Liu Guilan, a doctor of the Third People’s Hospital of Qinghai Province, said, “The uncomfortable symptoms of some people due to oxygen deficit are caused by mental tension in particular when there are companions with oxygen deficit symptoms such as difficulty in sleep. Therefore, visitors to the plateau for the first time should specially overcome the unnecessary psychological fear.    

It is also advised by experts that a lot of foods unique to the plateau such as buttered tea, ginseng fruit and Zamba (roasted highland barley flour) are helpful to overcome the altitude stress and improve sleep quality. In addition, since the plateau pressure is relatively low, it is not advisable to have too much food in supper, or abdominal distension might affect sleep.