STAYING ALIVE

HOW to minimise the health risks linked to a hospital stay. this week: Getting the rest you need HOSPITAL wards can be busy, noisy places, making it hard to get to sleep. So, you should ‘concentrate on rest, rather than sleep’, says Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a psychologist and sleep therapist at the Nightingale Hospital in London .

‘Don’t get over-anxious about not sleeping, as the anxiety will prevent you dropping off or even enjoying the rest,’ she says. ‘Instead, try to relax. One exercise I suggest is breathing in slowly while saying the word “in” and then breathing out, saying the word “out”, for as long as you can. ‘Don’t be tempted to use your mobile phone, as the blue light can be stimulating. Instead, read something undemanding, such as a magazine, which should make you feel drowsy.’ It can also be hard to sleep if you’re too hot, so turn your pillow over to the cool side.