SLEEP SOLUTIONS

If plant extracts and herbs don’t do the trick, look to the modern world for a sleep solution

There are pills, potions and supps to help you sleep, but do they work and should you take them?

What’s the deal with... melatonin?

What? A hormone secreted by your brain with the purpose of regulating your circadian rhythm (natural 24-hour sleep/wake cycle).

Why? Research suggests a dose will help you fall asleep quicker and increase your sleep time.

How? Available in pill form, it has been approved as a medication for insomnia only in those over 55.

Where? It’s available in the UK by prescription only, although it is legal to import it for personal use from countries where it’s freely available, such as the US.

What’s the deal with... herbal aids?

What? Herbal supplements, such as herbal Nytol, harness the sleep-inducing properties of the antihistamine diphenhydramine.

Why? ‘Histamine is a transmitter in the brain that wakes you up, and taking diphenhydramine reduces your histamine levels,’ explains Wilson. But she warns that exceeding the dose could have negative consequences for your body and brain.

How? Available over the counter, but abide by what it says on the label and never double-dose.

What’s the deal with... Night Nurse?

What? This liquid solution combines paracetamol with promethazine, as do equivalent products by other brands.

Why? ‘This has an effect on the neurotransmitter dopamine,’ says Dr Sue Wilson, a research fellow at Imperial College London. Promethazine is an antihistamine with a sedative effect and the paracetamol will relieve any aches that could be keeping you awake.

How? Available over the counter, but abide by what it says on the label and never double-dose.

Rock out

A study at the University of Geneva found that falling asleep to continuous gentle rocking results in a shorter time drifting off and – with the motion sustained throughout the night – deeper sleep. Also, participants’ memories of facts learned the night before were better, compared with those who slept with no rocking. (rockingbed.com)

Choose cherries

A review of research published in Advances In

Nutrition concluded that cherries, which contain melatonin, could help with insomnia. In one study, participants drank either 230ml of tart cherry juice or a cherryflavoured placebo every morning and evening for two weeks. Those who got the real deal slept for longer, were less likely to wake in the night and had greater sleep efficiency (ie they spent more time asleep when in bed).

Bulk up

If you’re trying to lose some weight, you’ll sleep easier if your calorie cuts don’t come from protein. A study by Purdue University, US, found that people who consumed 1.5g protein per kilogram of body weight while on a calorie-restricted diet reported an improvement in overall sleep quality after three months on the eating plan, compared with those who only ate 0.8g per kilogram (the UK reference intake).

Brew down

You already know that a post-dinner espresso is bad news for bedtime, but a study by the Sleep Research Society shows cumulative coffee consumption also counts against good sleep. It found that more than ‘60 cup-years of coffee (eg three cups per day for over 20 years)’ could lead to shrinkage of a gland in the brain that produces the sleep hormone melatonin.

Painful truth

Just one night of sleep deprivation leads to a

15-30 per cent increase in perceived sensitivity to pain, according to research published in the Journal of

Neuroscience. Brain imaging showed activity spiking in pain-perception regions and plunging in those thought to help manage or reduce pain.

01

THE HOT NEW BEDFELLOW

Roisín Dervish-O’Kane cosies up to an anxiety-crushing weighted blanket

Security blankets call to mind Linus from the Charlie Brown cartoons, and pre-school children. Yet, more than two decades senior to that demographic, I find myself determined to get one. Specifically, a weighted blanket, reported to help expedite the falling-asleep process by reducing anxiety levels. I have a clinically anxious mind; it loves nothing more than an 11pm spiral that keeps me from sleep, so, naturally, I’m curious.

Weighted blankets have been used in mental health care for people with high nervous system arousal, such as personality disorders and autism. ‘It’s a part of what’s known as sensory integration,’ says Kathryn Di Virgilio, an occupational therapist who specialises in mental health. ‘It’s about empowering people whose nervous systems are highly aroused – like those with anxiety – with tools to help them move from being in sympathetic nervous system mode [stimulated] to parasympathetic [rest and digest].’ It sounds good, but what’s the thinking behind the heavy blanket? ‘Anxiety is a very sensory experience, in the grips of which it’s hard to intervene with your own thoughts,’ says Di Virgilio. ‘But having something you can hold or feel weigh down on you is grounding.’

When UK shipping finally became available and the box carrying a blanket weighing a tenth of my body weight (at the manufacturer’s recommendation) arrived, I was straight on it (well, under it). I basically swaddled myself in it, cocoon-like, for its first outing: a Friday evening post-work, pre-bar disco nap. I fell asleep rapidly, a trend that was repeated most nights over the next three weeks. It’s a tangible reminder that the scenarios playing in my mind aren’t real or relevant right now, but my physical need for sleep very much is. £149, gravityblankets.co.uk

02

INNER-THOUGHTS HACK

There is considerable evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective way to help you get the sleep you need.

NHS psychotherapist and author of Ten to Zen (Bluebird) Owen O’Kane shares his pre-bed CBT checklist:

1. Stop and accept you are struggling to sleep; fighting it will do nothing but maintain the pattern.

2. Rather than engage with your thoughts, try observing them and let them go. It’s bedtime – they are not for now.

3. Focus on your breath. Take a deep breath in for four counts and then out for four. Try this for a few minutes. It helps activate sleep-inducing neurochemicals.

The next morning...

Think, ‘What can I learn from this?’ If the moment you put your head on the pillow marks your first opportunity to switch off, think about where else in the day you can make space for a break.

03

THE BEDTIME BUDDY

The world’s first sleep robot is designed to snuggle you into the land of nod

The most recent – some would say alarming, which is a delicious irony – innovation in the world of sleep aids is the sleep robot. If you think even the idea sounds unlikely, here’s how it works, according to Somnox, the company that has developed it: the sleep robot simulates breathing rhythms and because your breathing naturally adjusts to another breathing pattern, the sleep robot is able to slow down your breathing. This helps you relax, making it easier to sleep.

It’s a (vaguely) kidney-shaped cushion that you, in effect, spoon when you lie down at night. It then ‘breathes’ softly and as your breathing automatically matches this gentle, slower rhythm, you nod off. Your deep, slow breathing sends a message to the brain that it’s time to properly tune out and relax, which helps you sleep better and longer. The ergonomic shape is designed to encourage snuggling but if you share a bed with a partner this could well lead to all kinds of awkward conversations.

The sleep robot, which is a little over 30cm long, weighs just under 2kg and has a washable sleeve; and it comes with a personalised application for iOS and Android that allows you to set the sounds and breathing exercises to your liking

(eg you can tell it to ‘stop breathing’ after a specific number of minutes, which seems harsh). It also offers soothing sounds, such as a guided meditation, lullabies, a heartbeat or white noise. You can adjust settings using the built-in control panel.

The technology includes a series of sensors, such as a CO2 sensor to measure breathing, and an accelerometer to sense movement. There have been no clinical tests yet, but the company has carried out 85 of its own tests, and up to 90 per cent of participants have indicated they fell asleep faster. £549, meetsomnox.com

04

THE MIND TRICK

Hypnotherapist and author of

The Anxiety Solution (Penguin) Chloe Brotheridge shares a simple exercise to help you switch off at night

1. Start by taking deep belly breaths – breathing in for a count of three and out for a count of five.

2. Next, imagine a flight of steps that leads you down to a calming place. This could be a beach, a garden, a forest – whatever you like.

3. Visualise yourself walking down each step and relaxing more and more as you count down from 10 to one.

4. Allow yourself to be in that place. Use all your senses; notice what you see, hear, feel and smell around you. Imagine that you are absorbed in these calming surroundings.

5. Finally, tell yourself some positive statements about sleep, such as ‘I am totally relaxed’; ‘sleep comes easily to me’ or ‘I will wake up rested and refreshed’. Download your free hypnotherapy toolkit at calmer-you.com/free