Top tips for a good night’s sleep

A good night’s sleep – Essential for health

As the clocks “fall back”, ushering in long dark winter evenings, the plus side for many is the opportunity for an extra hour in bed.

Some interesting new research contradicts the received wisdom that it’s best to jump out of bed as soon as the alarm goes. A study of snoozers suggests there may be benefits to hitting the snooze button to get a few extra minutes sleep.
 

To snooze or not to snooze?

A recent study of 1,732 adults found that almost 7 out of 10 used the snooze function or set multiple alarms at least sometimes. The amount of time spent snoozing varied widely from 1 to 180 minutes, though the average per morning was 22 minutes. Snoozers tended to be younger than non-snoozers and were more likely to be “night owls”. Morning drowsiness and shorter sleep were also more common in those who snoozed.
 

Drilling down into snooze effects

Further study of habitual snoozers discovered that 30 minutes of snoozing either improved or did not affect performance on cognitive tests directly upon rising, compared with waking up abruptly. Snoozing resulted in about 6 minutes of lost sleep, but it prevented awakening from slow-wave sleep. There were no clear effects of snoozing on stress hormone levels, morning sleepiness, mood, or overnight sleep structure.
 

Study author Tina Sundelin PhD, of Stockholm University:

“The findings indicate that there is no reason to stop snoozing in the morning if you enjoy it, at least not for snooze times around 30 minutes. In fact, it may even help those with morning drowsiness to be slightly more awake once they get up.”

You can read the full article in the Journal of Sleep Research. (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
 

Missing sleep equals faster ageing

A fascinating study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that one night of missed sleep caused the brain to show ageing effects equivalent to one or two years of “normal” ageing. The researchers used machine learning to generate “brain age” estimates from MRI scans of sleep-deprived people’s brains and compared them with MRIs of those same people’s brains after a full night’s sleep.

The positive news from the study was that a good night’s sleep was all it took for the brains to recover their younger selves. Another indicator, if we needed it, of the power of sleep.
 

Why is a good night’s sleep important, and how long is long enough?

During sleep our bodies get a chance to restore and repair themselves. Hormones are triggered to enable tissue growth which can help you recover from cuts, grazes and even sore muscles.

Poor sleep can lead to a weakening of the immune system, and lead to an increased risk of serious medical conditions including obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

If we don’t get sufficient sleep, it affects our ability to concentrate, and makes us more irritable and moody.

It can have an impact on our mental health, and make us more likely to have accidents.

Adults generally need about seven and a half to eight hours sleep. A few people can manage very well with a bit less, while others need more.

You will know if you’re not getting enough! If you fall asleep the second your head hits the pillow, it is actually an indication that you are exhausted, and should get more sleep on a regular basis.

And if you need an alarm clock to wake you every morning, that too is a sign that you aren’t getting enough rest.
 

Struggle to fall asleep? The military answer!

There is an apparently surefire technique for falling asleep very quickly which is currently swirling around on social media, having originally been developed by the US Military, to help keyed-up combatants take advantage of any opportunities for some shut-eye.

It was first described in the 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance by Lloyd Bud Winter, and from there it went viral when Justin Agustin, a fitness coach with over 1.7 million TikTok followers described it in a TikTok video:

“First, you need to calm your body and systematically relax and shut down each part of your body from head to toe, literally.

“Start by relaxing the muscles in your forehead. Relax your eyes, your cheeks, your jaws and focus on your breathing. Now, go down to your neck and your shoulders.

“Make sure your shoulders are not tensed up. Drop them as low as you can and keep your arms loose to your sides[s], including your hands and fingers.

“Then you should get into a warm tingly sensation, imagining it from the top of your head to your fingertips. Begin taking deep breaths, relaxing your chest, your stomach, down to your thighs, knees, legs and feet. Reimagine that warm sensation, but this time going from your heart all the way down to your toes.

“Now while you’re doing this, it’s really important to clear your mind of any stresses. Choose one of two scenarios to think of: lying in a canoe surrounded by only clear lake water or lying in a black velvet hammock in a pitch black room.

“When you find yourself getting distracted, repeat these words for 10 seconds: “Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think.”

Practice for six weeks, fall asleep in two minutes

According to Agustin, if you practice this every night for six weeks, you should be able to fall asleep within two minutes of closing your eyes.

Perhaps surprisingly, there aren’t yet any studies to see if it actually works – just lots of anecdotal accounts. But it is employing similar relaxation and mindfulness techniques to those recommended by many sleep experts, and should at least clear your head and make you more disposed towards a good night’s rest.
 

Some knock-on effects of a bad night’s sleep

• for one in five of us, poor sleep leads to less motivation the following day

• a third of us notice improved performance following a good night’s sleep

• nearly forty percent of us find it hard to fall asleep, and say this causes issues with listening to people, solving problems and focusing on the task at hand
 

So what can be done?

• Blue light glasses – we are all spending even more time gazing at blue light-emitting screens, for work and leisure. An interesting new study has shown that wearing blue light filtering glasses for a while before bedtime helps counteract the effect, leading to better sleep and more efficiency the following day. The effect was the most marked in “Night owls” whose natural rhythms are often out of sync with the demands of a day job. You can read about the study here (external link will open in a new browser window)

• More exercise – a regular routine of exercise helps you sleep better. Try and build some exercise time into your regular daily routine, so that it becomes a habit. There are now lots of online keep fit classes to follow. Simple walking is also great exercise. If you can leave your house for a walk, take advantage of the opportunity! If it isn’t possible, how about walking circuits of your largest room?

• Eat well – a healthy, varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and whole grains contributes to better sleep. Try and eliminate processed foods which can contain chemicals that disrupt your body’s natural rhythms.

• Cut down the caffeine and alcohol – caffeinated and alcoholic drinks can hinder sleep, so try not to consume them in the evening. Social isolation and long evenings at home alone (or with your nearest and dearest) may tempt you to increase your alcohol consumption. Remember that alcohol is a depressant, once the initial buzz has passed – and the long-term damage to your health from overdoing it will outlast the lockdown!

• Afternoon naps are good, as long as they are short – if you favour a siesta, it should be no longer than 20 minutes or you could find it disrupts night-time sleeping. One helpful tip if you find it hard to keep to this is to have a cup of coffee right before your nap, and you should wake when the caffeine kicks in.

• Invest in a good quality bed – we all spend around a third of our lives in bed, so it’s worth investing in a bed and mattress that is really comfortable. If you have problems such as poor circulation, sleep apnoea, snoring and indigestion, you may find an adjustable bed helps.

• Some essential oils may help – although they don’t work for everybody or all the time, lavender and marjoram are both recommended. Just sprinkle a few drops on your pillow, or use a diffuser.

• A bath before bed – a relaxing soak in warm – not hot – water can help you relax and wind down before going to bed. By dilating your vascular system, it also helps you cool down afterwards. This is an essential step in falling asleep.

• Keep your bedroom cool – you won’t sleep if it’s too warm. Aim for 18° C.

• Ban electronic devices – many of us love our tablets and smart phones, but taking them to bed with you will make it even harder to fall asleep. Turn off screens half an hour or so before you go to bed. This is particularly important now that nearly all our social contacts have moved online, so we tend to spend even more time in front of a screen.

• Disruptive pets – may need to be excluded from the bedroom if they disturb you.

• Complete darkness can help with falling asleep. Blackout curtains at the window or a lightweight eye mask are both effective.

• A milky drink – this is a bit of an old wives’ tale, but still seems to work for some people despite the supposed science being debunked. Perhaps the effect is psychological, conjuring memories of cosy childhood bedtime routines.

• Herbal remedies – valerian, hops and chamomile all have their adherents. Definitely worth a try!

• If anxiety keeps you awake – try thinking positive thoughts… tell yourself that you are well and safe. Focus on what you are grateful for and what you have enjoyed during the day. This process actually changes chemicals in the brain leading to a feeling of wellbeing and relaxation. Not so easy to do this in current circumstances, but that makes it all the more important to try and find something good in every day.

• Mindfulness – practising simple techniques, such as mindful breathing; awareness of your body; deliberately stepping back from your thoughts, can all help ease you into sleep. Not an instant fix – you have to practice.

• Get up straightaway – having another ten minutes doze when the alarm goes in the morning leaves you feeling more tired than if you got up quickly. Moving into bright light as soon as you wake up can also help you feel more wide-awake.
 

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Further reading and resources

We have an area of Independent Living dedicated to helping you get a good night’s sleep, where you will find adjustable beds, and a range of accessories to improve comfort and convenience

How to turn your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary

Night owls suffer more with depression

A new study shows that too little and too much sleep both have a negative impact on cognitive performance – Goldilocks on sleep

Improving sleep for people with dementia

If you have any surefire tips to help with sleeping – please share them here!

 
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