Are you sleeping sweetly?
Learn tricks for improving your shut eye
HOW did you sleep last night? Chances are, probably not well enough or long enough. Well, now you can.
Sleep researcher Dr Chelsie Rohrscheib, from the Queensland Brain Institute at The University of Queensland, says the secret to satisfying sleep is the will to achieve it.
“Some people are genetically inclined to need less sleep than the average population,” she says. “The (then) CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, has claimed that she sleeps four to six hours a night. However, especially in fast-paced Western societies, we are probably not achieving the amount of sleep required to remain functional and healthy.
“We are working longer hours while also trying to maintain a work-life balance. Time available for sleep is sacrificed.
“One of my colleagues is an excellent example. She wakes up at 4am most mornings to drive to the coast to surf but is always in the lab by 9am. She is incredibly hard-working and achieves a lot during her day but is absolutely exhausted by the time she gets home.”
She says this fast-paced lifestyle causes stress, which, when you do fall asleep, makes it hard to stay asleep.
“If you have a lot on your mind before going to bed, it will be very difficult for you to relax enough to fall asleep.
“Additionally, almost everyone fits into a specific chronotype, which is your body’s biological clock that tells you when to be awake and when to sleep.
“Chronotypes can range from early risers that are most active and alert in the morning, to those who wake late and are most active and alert at night. Night people. Your chronotype IF YOU HAVE A LOT ON YOUR MIND BEFORE GOING TO BED, IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO RELAX ENOUGH TO FALL ASLEEP. is almost completely dependent on your genes and is extremely difficult to alter.
“Unfortunately, society mostly revolves around the early chronotype leaving those with a late chronotype to constantly battle exhaustion.”
And technology can interfere with sleep.
“We are creating an environment that is constantly telling our brains to stay awake. Exposure to artificial blue light created by these electronics suppresses the brain’s production of a hormone called melatonin, which is necessary to control the sleep/wake cycle,” she says.
Creating the right mood and environment – called sleep hygiene – is also important.
“You should only use your bed during sleep time. This will help your brain and body keep a strong connection between the bed and sleep. Block out as much natural light as possible,” she says.
“Maintain a cool temperature in the bedroom. Even a small reduction in temperature is enough to lower the activity of your metabolism and promote sleep.”
Other tricks include stress management through meditation and exercise; keeping a journal to exorcise negative thoughts; and a strict bedtime and wake-up schedule.
“Of course, some people have legitimate sleep disorders, which can only be addressed by a medical professional. Those who believe they have a sleep disorder should seek help from their GP,” she says.