4 ways to improve your sleep
Sleep issues aren’t just a seasonal problem. Linenbundle said as many as 16 million UK adults* are suffering from sleepless nights as a third (31%) say they have insomnia.
Insomnia by the Numbers from the Sleep Foundation said from other studies, this figure is closer to 50% to 60%
It’s estimated that over 60 million Americans suffer from short-term (a few days or weeks) or long-term (more than a month) insomnia. Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary, which means they are the symptom or side effect of some other problem.
Coronavirus lockdown caused sharp increase of insomnia in UK extract from the Guardian School Guide
The pressures of juggling work and home-schooling all contributed to the trend. Photograph: Alamy
Denis Campbell Health policy editor
Sun 2 Aug 2020 18.14 BST 297
The lockdown triggered a sharp increase in anxiety-related sleeping problems, with mothers, key workers and people from minority ethnic backgrounds the worst affected, a study shows.
The number of Britons suffering sleep loss caused by worrying rose from one in six to one in four as a direct result of the huge disruption to people’s social and working lives after the restrictions began on 23 March.
Social isolation, loss of employment, financial problems, illness, fear of getting infected with coronavirus and the pressures of juggling work and home-schooling all contributed to the trend.
We’ve all heard the standard ‘sleep hygiene’ tips about avoiding caffeine, using room-darkening shades, and going to bed at the same time every night. Here are a few other ideas that aren’t as well known.
- Nap properly
Taking a nap during the day can be great for productivity and fabulous for health, but you’ve got to do it right. Aim to nap for 20 to 25 minutes, any longer than that and you’ll feel groggy when you wake up and you risk not being able to fall asleep when it’s bedtime.
- Be mindful of the temperature.
Take a warm (not hot) shower or bath about an hour before bedtime, and keep your room cool at night. The drop-in body temperature signals your body to calm so you’ll fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
- Turn off the electronics.
Okay, so you’ve heard this one. But it’s the most important and the least followed piece of advice.
Get an old-fashioned alarm clock so you don’t need to use your phone. Turn your phone, iPad, Kindle, or whatever you’ve got off, and put the devices in another room. Yes, a whole other room. You may think that a phone on silent, hanging out on your nightstand, won’t disturb your rest, but it will. Just knowing it’s there puts your body on alert. It’s far too tempting to reach over and ‘just check a few emails’ if you do wake up in the middle of the night. Save yourself. Break this habit.
- Get a massage.
Yup. Massage can help with sleep issues. There have been several studies demonstrating the efficacy of massage in people with sleep problems, especially when treating secondary issues that may impair sleep, like back pain, pregnancy and migraines.
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and get ready for a better night’s sleep.