Struggling with Sleep

There are many things that can cause sleep difficulties, some are mentioned below but remember that this will differ for everyone and this is not an exhaustive list:

• Problems with the environment in which you sleep – for example, its uncomfortable, loud, too warm or you can be easily disturbed
• Certain medications can impact on sleep. If you suspect this is the case, speak to your doctor before making any changes to your medication.
• Working nights or shift work
• Experiences of trauma
• Use of recreational drugs and alcohol
• Caffeine in your food and drinks
• Mental health problems for example anxiety, stress, depression
• Physical health problems for example pain, hormonal conditions, prostate
• Sleep disorders for example Narcolepsy, Sleep Apnoea.

Difficulties sleeping can have a big impact on your life, you might find you’re struggling at work, at home and with relationships with others. When we feel tired we are more likely to feel irritable and our tolerance levels are lower. By making some small changes to your routine you may see a difference in your ability to fall asleep, to stay asleep and how refreshed you feel when waking up.

The tips below are all designed to help enhance good sleeping patterns and hopefully provide long-term solutions to gaining a better night’s sleep.

1. Keep to a regular time – Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day (even on days off and weekends) is one of the best ways to train your body to sleep well. Keeping the same routine will hopefully make you feel better and more refreshed.
2. Keep your day time routine the same – Even if you have a bad night’s sleep and feel really tired, try to keep your day time routine the same, don’t avoid activities because you are tired.
3. No to Naps – it might seem like a good idea to have a quick nap during the day to ‘catch up’ on sleep but this can affect how we sleep at night. If you really can’t make it through the day without a nap, then try take it before 3pm and for less than an hour.
4. Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine and Alcohol – All three of these substances can act as stimulants which can keep us awake and disrupt our sleep. Some may think alcohol helps them get to sleep but it can actually interrupt the quality of sleep you have. Try to avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the 4-6 hours before going to bed.
5. Bed is a sleep only zone – Keep you bed for sleep and sex only! Try to avoid using your bed for other things, such as watching TV, reading, working etc. Your body will start to make connections with these things and associate them with your bed making it harder to go to sleep.
6. If you can’t get to sleep, get up and try again later –  If you haven’t been able to drop off to sleep after around 20 minutes of getting in bed, get up and do something calming and relaxing until you feel sleepy and then try again. Try not to do anything too stimulating or sit in an area with bright lights as this could make you feel more awake. Try reading something boring, or having a hot (caffeine free) drink in a quiet comfortable place with low lighting.
7. Make sure your room encourages sleep – it’s important that your bedroom is quiet and comfortable. A cooler room with blankets to keep warm is best, having black out curtains or using an eye mask can also block out any unwanted light as well as using earplugs if you know it will be noisy.
8. Bedtime routine – develop a bedtime routine, this could include having a warm bath 1-2 hours before going to bed, doing some calming stretches, having a de-caffeinated hot drink, meditating. It could be anything you find relaxing a calming, allowing your mind and body to wind down and prepare to rest.
9. Don’t watch the clock – Many people who struggle to sleep will watch the clock, often thinking ‘I’ll only have this many hours now’ ‘I’m not going to have enough sleep’ but doing this can encourage negative thoughts and disrupt our ability to sleep even more!
10. Eating right and exercising – Adopting a healthy eating and exercise regime can help you sleep well. Being hungry at bedtime can be distracting and make it difficult to sleep, but also having a large heavy meal close to bedtime can impact your sleep too. Try having a light snack such as a banana, so you are not hungry or drinking a cup of warm milk before bed. Regular exercise is a good way to help with sleep, but avoid overly strenuous workouts in the 4 hours leading up to bedtime. Morning exercise is a great way to start your day feeling refreshed.