Sleep hygiene is nothing to do with cleaning some manky bedsheets

SORTING out one’s sleep hygiene sounds like what you have to do when the bed sheets get a bit manky. It’s not hygiene in that sense, though. I had a patient come in last week who hadn’t been getting a good snooze at night for a while.

You probably know that you sleep in cycles – deep sleep, REM sleep and short periods of waking.

Usually these wee moments are forgotten but sometimes something will distract you and stop you falling back to sleep.

It can be anything, from a snoring partner to the screeching of some rutting foxes.

Stress from everyday concerns can cause sleeplessness, as can anxiety or depression.

Symptoms like cramp, indigestion or a cough will do it too. Caffeine and nicotine won’t help and although alcohol might get you off to sleep, it can also cause early morning wakefulness.

There are plenty of causes, so treatment is varied and depends on the problem.

Generally though, there are ways you can improve your own sleep hygiene.

Reduce caffeine and cut out alcohol and nicotine.

Don’t have a heavy meal before going to bed and avoid daytime naps.

Exercising earlier in the day helps you sleep, but don’t do it near to bedtime – it’ll wake you up more.

A stroll, a warm bath and some reading before bed can help you wind down.

And if you can’t sleep within 20 minutes or so then get up and have a potter in another room before going back to bed.

Some see sleeping pills as the answer, but they come with a number of problems – they’re potentially addictive and tolerance can be built up surprisingly quickly.