ASK DR MOSLEY... YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
QI’M A very light sleeper. The slightest noise wakes me and then I cannot go back to sleep. I try staying up later so I am tired but I can never sleep past 6am, even when I do sleep through. I’m 41 and a single father-of-one so earplugs aren’t really an option – let alone sleeping pills.
AAS A parent, you get used to sleeping with one eye open and even when the children are older, it’s usual to find that this state of hyper-awareness remains. When we are asleep, our brain is still monitoring the outside world, alert to danger.
However, following all the steps on my plan should help – and you’ll notice earplugs and sleeping pills aren’t on there.
If, like me, you wake and then find yourself worrying you won’t get enough sleep, a few mindfulness exercises can really do the trick. You can download a free app, like Headspace, which is the one I use.
Mindfulness is a form of exercise for the brain, similar to meditation. The app guides you through the process, which makes it very easy. By practising it regularly, you can teach your brain the thoughts to pay attention to, and which you can safely ignore. It has been shown to reduce general stress levels and a tendency to ruminate when you wake during the night. It’s not an instant fix, but over time it will have an effect.
QIN THE past you have recommended a supplement to treat sleeping problems. Can you tell me more?
AWHILE researching sleep remedies, I took Bimuno, a food supplement. It’s a prebiotic, which is essentially a sugar that, when consumed, encourages and supports the growth of your own natural stomach bacteria. It has been shown to boost levels in the gut of a particular type of bacteria called bifidobacteria. Although it did seem to improve the quality of my sleep, I also explained that, so far, no proper trials have been done showing how well it works and in whom. Bimuno is easy to find online. Let me know how you get on.
QI HAVE have been taking a sleeping tablet called Zopiclone every night for the past eight years, and now have shortterm memory loss, which is probably not right at 48. I am desperate to come off the pills but when I stop taking them, I have terrible nightmares and sweats. I need a good night’s sleep to function well during the day. Could your sleep plan help?
AZOPICLONE is a relatively safe drug but generally prescribed for only short periods. Those who take it for longer may experience problems with sleeplessness, anxiety, sweating and headaches if they suddenly stop. Coming off a prescribed medication should always be done under medical supervision. One thing your doctor may suggest is taking a low dose of a medicine called amitriptyline, which is used to treat a wide variety of conditions including insomnia. In low doses it seems to have fewer side effects than Zopiclone. In the meantime, following my sleep plan can do nothing but help.