Can’t drift off?
Whether it’s stress, the temperature or a noisy bedfellow keeping you awake, here’s how to get some proper shuteye.
Sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley reveals the seven things that are stopping you from getting a good night’s kip
We’re a pretty sleepless nation, it appears.
While most Brits aim for a dreamy seven to nine hours a night, around a third of us suffer from disrupted sleep.
What’s more, 48% of adults say it’s affecting their mental health.*
“It’s a real issue for many people,” says sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley.
“And the more we worry about it, the more we struggle to drift off.”
But making small changes to your night-time routine can help you achieve a healthy eight hours a night – just follow Dr Stanley’s top tips for any situation.
When It’s Too Cold
It’s never fun getting into a chilly bed.
“If it’s too cold, you lose body heat and that can make falling asleep a problem,” says Dr Stanley.
GettyIf your bedroom is too cold, you lose body heat and that can make falling asleep a problem[/caption]
“Most people will turn the heating up, but this heats the room, not your body.
“The Sleep Charity advises that you keep your bedroom at 16-18°C if you can.
“Think about keeping yourself warm instead, which will help slash heating bills, too.
“Take a hot-water bottle to bed, wear bed socks or a nightcap – they fell out of fashion as our bedrooms got hotter, but we lose most of our heat at night through our heads, so wearing one will make a huge difference.”
Try FocusCare’s satin-lined sleeping cap from Amazon, £11.99.
And use flannel bed sheets – because they’re thicker and fluffier, they trap more air, keeping you warmer.
In Times Of Stress
Does your brain churn with worry in the middle of the night?
You’re not alone – 60% of us wake up fretting about work, money and more.**
“You need a quiet mind to get good sleep.
“Try having a 30-45-minute wind-down period before going to bed,” says Dr Stanley.
“Do something that relaxes you, whether that’s yoga, mindfulness or listening to music.
“Don’t work and don’t watch the news.
“Try a technique called ‘thought blocking’: count backwards from 1,000 in increments of seven.
“Or go through the alphabet and think of an animal beginning with each letter.
“If after a while, you’re still awake, get up, go to another room and do something else until you feel sleepy again.
“There’s no point lying in bed getting more frustrated about how you can’t get to sleep.
“That will only add to your inability to drift off.”
After Exercise
We’ve long been told not to exercise late at night because it’ll interfere with your sleep cycle.
Research now tells us that is wrong.
In fact, there is no harm in doing a workout in the evening or after work.
“As long as your body temperature and heart rate have time to return to your baseline before bed, you can exercise in the evening without affecting your ability to fall asleep,” says Dr Stanley.
“But always allow time for a cooling-down period at the end of your workout – going to bed hot and sweaty will not help.”
Download the Fitivity app for stretching workouts designed to help you get to sleep.
In A Strange Room
It can be really hard sleeping somewhere new.
Dr Stanley says: “The ‘first-night effect’ is where you can only sleep if you feel safe and secure.
GettyWhen you go to a new place bring a bit of home with you to trick your brain into feeling more comfortable[/caption]
“In a new environment, strange noises may prevent you from falling asleep.
“The brain responds by waking, as it doesn’t know whether it is a threat or not.
“Sadly, this means we are likely to have a bad night’s sleep the first night anywhere.”
Dr Stanley suggests bringing a bit of home with you to trick your brain into feeling more comfortable. “Take a pillowcase or face mask,” he suggests.
And switch off everything in the room that might make a strange noise.
“Try to relax – it will be better the next night.”
Next To A Snorer
“Sleeping with another person is quite unnatural – humans are the only animals that do it,” says Dr Stanley.
“Try separate beds or even bedrooms.
“Not the guest bedroom or the sofa – going somewhere else shouldn’t be a punishment.
“Ideally, you need your own sleeping spaces to optimise and prioritise your sleep.
“You’ll be amazed at the difference having your own bed makes to your overall wellbeing.”
Not all of us have the luxury of a spare room, though.
“If you don’t have the space, make your partner understand their snoring is not conducive to a happy relationship.
“Persuade them to give some remedies a go.”
Nasal strips, sleeping on their side and weight loss (if they’re overweight) are all proven to help, but you can also get your other half to tone their mouth and airways to reduce snoring – download the SnoreGym app to guide them through it.
When It’s Noisy
Rowing neighbours, drilling, people spilling out of the local pub – life can be loud.
“The most important thing is not to stress about noise,” says Dr Stanley.
GettyRowing neighbours, drilling and people spilling out of the local pub can stop you sleeping[/caption]
“The more you listen to it, the more it’ll upset you.
“Play a masking sound, such as white noise, so your brain can concentrate on a meaningless sound rather than the meaningful one stopping you getting to sleep.”
Pink noise, which includes the sound of rain or wind, has a lower frequency than white noise and has been found to calm brain waves.***
Meanwhile, brown noise, which is rougher, like that of a roaring river, can mask tinnitus.†
If You Need A Nap
If your child has had a bad night, you may need to catch up on Zzzs the next day.
“A 20-minute power nap can boost mental performance, but you need to think about duration,” says Dr Stanley.
“It takes around 20 minutes to fall asleep, then another 20 minutes before you go into a deep sleep.
“The key is not waking up while you are in those deeper stages of sleep, as that will make you wake up feeling groggy and tired – the opposite of what you wanted to achieve.
“So, if you want a quick nap, allow a 40-minute window. After more of a siesta?
“Aim for two hours, including 20 minutes spent getting to sleep.
“You will already have had your period of deep sleep and will wake up after this time feeling refreshed.
“Be aware, though, that this could affect your ability to sleep at night.”
Sources: *Mental Health Foundation **Mental Health UK ***Journal of Theoretical Biology †Insider.com