GROWING tired of sleepless nights? It turns out one in five of us struggles to drop off.
It is widely recognised by experts that adults need between seven and nine hours of shut-eye a night.
Only 36 per cent of Brits actually get as much shut-eye as they need — here are some tips to ease your passage into the Land of Nod[/caption]
Yet a study by Nuffield Health shows a mere 36 per cent of Brits actually achieve the full quota.
So for World Sleep Day Dr Michael Breus — aka The Sleep Doctor — offers ten tips to ease your passage to the Land of Nod.
1. WAKE up at the same time, seven days a week.
No matter how bad a sleep you had the night before, keep your wake-up time structured — this helps keep your circadian rhythm in alignment.
It also lets your body know when to “turn on” the melatonin (a sleep hormone) and when to keep it off.
2. DOWN a pint of water after waking. Once you get up, it is recommended you drink at least 400ml of water.
Sleeping dehydrates you, so you need to hydrate when you wake up.
3. AVOID naps. While Dr Breus loves to nap while watching golf on the weekends, he recommends that anyone struggling with insomnia avoid naps.
It lowers sleep drive and can make the situation worse.
4. DON’T go to bed early. It seems counterintuitive, but hitting the duvet before time doesn’t help.
Just because you had a mentally exhausting day at work or are physically tired from exercise, it doesn’t mean your body needs rest early.
Doing so will use up your sleep drive and two things can happen — either you fall asleep for about two hours and are up for the rest of the night or you just lie there feeling angry.
5. TAKE off make-up when you get home.
Most people turn on the bathroom light to clean their face, but this exposes you to blue light, which can suppress sleep-inspiring melatonin.
6. KEEP it cool. Whether it’s opening a window slightly or getting a lighter duvet, staying cool at bedtime will help you to fall asleep.
Your body releases melatonin only after it has hit a core body temperature peak, and then drops.
If it is too hot in the bedroom, there is no drop and subsequently no melatonin.
7. CUT off the caffeine. Dr Breus recommends stopping your caffeine intake by midday, or by 2pm at the latest.
Caffeine has an effect that lasts six to eight hours, depending on your age, so it is important to clear your system in plenty of time.
8. GRATITUDE list. Data shows that if you do something pleasurable before bed, you will sleep quicker.
If you have a million thoughts in your head, thinking about things you are grateful for is a top distraction tool.
It doesn’t need to be long or challenging — just bring on the good vibes.
9. NO alcohol three hours before bedtime. Limit yourself to two alcoholic beverages a night and make sure they are finished three hours before bed.
That provides enough time for it to be out of your system for a great sleep. It also allows you to still enjoy your meal.
10. GET plenty of exercise. A prescribed daily dosage of 15 minutes of cardio and a further 45 minutes of weights is proven to improve sleep quality.
