If you’re tossing and turning awake at night – possibly mentally planning the morning rush and worrying about everything that could go wrong in the future – you’re not alone.
One in three Australians report having symptoms of insomnia each month (which can include getting to sleep, staying asleep and achieving adequate quality of sleep) according to a number of different studies, with women reporting such symptoms nearly twice as much as men.
We know the value of a great night’s sleep, but we don’t necessarily know how to get it. And being told you should aim for “eight hours’ sleep” hardly helps when you’ve got enough to think about as you’re trying to drift off, let alone getting anxious about being exhausted the next day. Throw in a few interruptions such as kids and sleep pattern breakers like this weekend’s end of daylight savings, and the dream of good night’s sleep becomes even more elusive.
This week, as part of a national study into sleep habits, Flordis (a natural medicine company) has released a number of tips to help from sleep expert Dr Carmel Harrington. She has a PhD in sleep medicine and says that too often sleep becomes the first sacrifice of an increasingly busy schedule. It’s simply not worth the sacrifice when sleep is so essential to your overall wellbeing.
Her ten tips for a “quality” night’s sleep include:
- Make sleep a priority
- Establish a regular sleep routine
- Make your bedroom dark to encourage sleep
- Develop a relaxed attitude towards sleep
- Let natural light into your bedroom as soon as you wake in the morning
- Turn off the electronic devices (including the TV, computers, ipad and yes your mobile phone)
- Avoid exercise within three hours of going to bed
- Stay clear of stimulants and alcohol in the late afternoon/evening and avoid going to bed straight after a heavy meal
- Consider taking natural medicines (rather than sleeping pills) to help restore normal sleeping patterns
- Experiment with downloading sleep cycle and white noise apps to improve sleep quality
The Flordis study recommends a number of other tips that may help – including sharing your bed with your partner (which increases snooze time by 21 minutes according to the research), and enjoying a little partner playtime before bedtime.