The things that ruin

In the words of the Elizabethan dramatist and writer Thomas Dekker, “sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together”.

Leaping forward to modern times and we have become a faster paced and more stressed society, addicted to social media and a level of communication that commands a 24/ 7 availability.

The side- effects of this environment are that many of us find it more difficult to relax, diet has been jeopardized and we have even come up with the phrase “FOMO”, which is the fear of missing out.

But it means that even when we want some shuteye, we struggle to doze off.

Poor sleep impacts mood and concentration, and the effects are linked to serious health issues. Healthspan's Rob Hobson explains subtle things which could be hampering your rest

During sleep your heart rate drops, body temperature falls and complex changes occur in the brain.

The first stage of sleep is non- rapid eye movement, which occurs in three stages that become progressively deeper.

Stage one and two are light sleep from which we can easily be roused from.

The third stage is deeper and we are less likely to be roused from but may feel disorientated if woken.

Stage four is known as rapid eye movement sleep, which is the point that dreaming occurs. Each cycle lasts around 90 minutes and all four are needed to wake up feeling rested.

Sleep is controlled mostly by your circadian rhythm, which is your inbuilt body clock and a 24-

After being awake for around 15 hours the pressure to sleep becomes greater as tiredness set in and with the onset of darkness the circadian rhythm drops to the lowest levels to help maintain sleep

◗ hour cycle that regulates both biological and physiological processes.

It anticipates environmental changes allowing the body to adapt and is