Howtonotlosesleep over losing out on zzzzzz’s

As Prince William welcomes brother Harry to “the sleep deprivation society that is parenting” Amy Packer reveals how to survive without enough shuteye People who can’t sleep worry about sleep more and it is this worry that results in less good sleep quali

WHEN insomniacs arrive at Dr Sandi Mann’s clinic, they usually expect the sleep expert to teach them how to get eight hours of kip every night. Instead, she shows them how to cope without.

“Some do walk away and find someone else but those who stay with me generally benefit,” she said. “Coping with little sleep is a valuable skill – once you learn how, you won’t be so worried about getting it – and often your sleep patterns will start to stabilise.”

For most people, not getting enough sleep leaves them feeling irritable, miserable and, well, tired. To make matters worse, we hear constantly how sleep deprivation is linked to everything from cognitive impairment and mental health issues to weight gain, increased risk of diabetes, dementia and weakened immunity.

“Certainly, studies regularly reveal an increased risk of earlier death due to chronic sleep deprivation,” said Dr Mann.

“A review of 16 studies found that sleeping for less than six to eight hours a night increases the risk of early death by about 12 per cent – but as with most things, when it comes to insomnia we have created a problem to some extent. What we are yearning for is not normal. Our natural sleep pattern is an interrupted few hours of sleep followed by a break followed by a few more interrupted hours. Yet if this is what we experience we think there is something wrong with us. There’s a whole industry built around getting the perfect night’s sleep but the quest for eight solid hours is not natural.”

Dr Mann believes people who can’t sleep probably differ from those who sleep easily thanks to one important fact – they worry about sleep more. Her most important lesson for patients is that it is this worry (rather than not having Egyptian cotton sheets with a 600 thread count) that results in less good sleep, so reducing worry will improve sleep.

“It stems from false expectations about what it offers us. Ancient people did not suffer angst about sleep because they didn’t expect to get a solid block. We do, and we worry if we’re not conforming to modern expectations.

“We have bought into the belief we need a good night’s sleep to perform well, even to survive. So, we need to change our attitude so we can discover what can be achieved on little or no sleep.

“Then, we might be relaxed enough about it all to actually get some.” ■■The Haynes Sleep Manual (£12.99, haynes.com) is out now