PHILIPPA’S TOP TIPS ON SLEEP HYGIENE

A good bedtime routine can have a positive impact on all par ts of life

◆ Sleep hygiene can be effective at helping reduce insomnia and creating the right environment and sleep routine for sleep.

◆ Make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep – not too hot or too cold. Keep your bedroom quiet and dark if possible – consider ear plugs or an eye mask.

◆ Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex, don’t work in bed, or watch TV, so your mind associates your bed with sleep.

◆ Exercise can really help improve your sleep, but don’t exercise too close to bed time as it gives an energy boost!

◆ Get outside and exposure to natural light, preferably early in the day to set your body clock.

◆ Avoid caf feinated drinks in the late afternoon onwards and avoid alcohol – you may think it helps you sleep but actually it doesn’t improve sleep. Nicotine is also a stimulant so avoid.

◆ Avoid stimulating activities before bed like watching an exciting TV programme or computer game. Instead turn off devices an hour or so before you want to sleep and create a bed time routine – a bath, reading, or a mindfulness session.

◆ It’s impor tant to tr y to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, even at the weekends. Avoid daytime naps!

◆ If you can’t sleep get up for about 20-30minutes, go to another room and do something relaxing like reading and then return to bed when you feel tired. Lying in bed worrying about not sleeping won’t help you sleep!

◆ If you have a health condition affecting your sleep, for example pain or needing to go to the toilet multiple times a night then please see your doctor.

◆ Mental health conditions can cause insomnia – depression is associated with terminal insomnia where you wake very early and cannot get back to sleep, and anxiety is associated with initial insomnia where you can’t get to sleep, but both can occur. Please do see your doctor, who can help.

QEven before the Covid pandemic I’m confused about when you might not be able to fly for health reasons. I like to scuba dive and know that you should leave a period of time before flying, but when else should I not fly?

AYou are correct that there are conditions when it is not safe to fly. This may be because you have a condition which could deteriorate while you are in the air or you might have an illness which is infectious and could therefore infect other passengers. The coronavirus pandemic has brought this second option more into the public awareness. No one wants to be on a flight with an infected person as it increases their own risk of catching coronavirus. Different airlines may have differing regulations so please do check with your airline before you fly.

Women are advised not to fly after the 36th week of pregnancy – or 32 weeks if it is a multiple pregnancy. However, many airlines say from the third trimester. Newborn babies less than for ty eight hours old should also not fly.

Other health conditions where flying is inadvisable include having chest pain or angina at rest, if you have had a hear t attack in the previous seven to ten days (depending on complications), or a stroke

Airlines have different regulations so check before you fly

in the previous for tnight. You may be advised against flying if you have a severe respirator y disease which affects your breathing. If you have had a recent surgery involving the bowel there may be gas present in the body so you would be advised to not fly for ten days. If you have had a colonoscopy again you should wait twenty four hours before flying. If you have an infectious disease, including of course Covid-19, then you should not fly – these include flu and chickenpox.

This list is not exhaustive and there are other conditions in which it isn’t safe to travel. If you develop a condition please check with your doctor, and airline before you travel. Happy travelling!