Counting down to a great night’s sleep
THIS week it was revealed that News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby had been unable to work for five weeks due to a severe bout of insomnia. It can be debilitating but here we show how a winddown routine can help you nod off more easily... Some sleep experts suggest you set an alarm about an hour before you intend to go to bed to remind you it’s time to start a “dimming-down’” relaxing routine. You should have eaten your dinner at least a couple of hours before you head for bed, but if you’re still peckish, peel a kiwi fruit or two.
Scientists at Taiwan’s Taipei Medical University found kiwi fruits helped subjects fall asleep quicker and sleep more soundly too. It could be thanks to the high serotonin and antioxidant levels in the fruits.
Natural remedies to try are valerian and passion flower, suggests sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley. Try Nytol Herbal Simply Sleep One-anight Tablets. “Send that last email and pay that gas bill you’ve been meaning to sort all day so they’re off your mind,” says Dr Stanley. “Write down your worries and your action list for tomorrow. Research conducted by Baylor University in Texas discovered that people who took five minutes to write down their to do lists before bed found it easier to drop off to sleep.” Write down or think of five things that were good about your day. Expert studies have shown this can help you fall asleep faster. “Blue light – emitted from phone and tablet screens – is known to suppress the release of melatonin, which is the body’s signal that it’s time for sleep,” says Dr Stanley.
“Passive” stretches, which require no strength or balance can help you wind down to prepare you for sleep.
“Stand with a slight bend in your knees, drop your head down, lean a little forward and let your arms dangle,” says Lexie Williamson, author of The Stretching Bible (Bloomsbury).
“Start to roll down in slow motion by letting your upper back, then mid back round. Take four or five slow breaths in and out while doing so.” “Brush your teeth and remove your make-up well in advance of getting in to bed,” says Dr Stanley. Leaving them to the last minute can make you feel alert all over again. Tom Bradby “Not only is this relaxing, but by heating the periphery of our body it actually helps us cool down our core,” says Dr Stanley.
“This is important because in lose order about to get°good 1 C of body sleep temperature. we need to
“A staggering 42% of people say they don’t get enough sleep because they need the toilet in the night, so make this one of the last things you do before bed,” says Dr Stanley.
A University of Sussex study found that losing yourself in a book lowered stress levels by 68% in participants.
So turning a few pages in bed could make it easier to sleep. If your body feels tense, try squeezing muscle groups for about five seconds at a time, then releasing them to help all your muscles relax.
First, squeeze and curl your toes for about five seconds, then release. Work next on your ankles, then calf muscles, thighs, bottom, tummy (pulling it in), chest (taking a deep breath), fists, arms, shoulders and neck (raising your shoulders to touch your ears), even your eyelids.
Hopefully you’ll be asleep before you get to the top. All of us experience the odd sleepless night – perhaps when we’ve got an important event the next day that we’re worried about. This type of passing disruption to sleep is usually short-lived and resolves itself.
But if you have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep for at least three nights a week over a period of at least three months, then this is termed ‘chronic insomnia’. This type of sleep deprivation can lead to anxiet and depression, and can require treatment.
See your GP if your lack of sleep is affecting your quality of life. They will try to identify any underlying health condition which may be causing your sleep problems, as well as offer general advice on going to bed and getting up at regular times, monitoring alcohol and caffeine intake, and so on. Sleeping pills are usually only prescribed as a last resort as they don’t tre the cause of the insomnia and can be highly addictive.
Your GP may ask you to keep a sleep diary or refer you for a special type Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
– for people with insomnia, CBTI – which helps you change thoughts, negative emotions and actions that adversely affect your ability to sleep.
Losing yourself in a book can lower stress levels by 68%