Falling asleep with relative ease and achieving the "golden" seven to eight hours of blissful sleep is one of the greatest factors contributing to good health. No need to panic if that's not you! While it has become increasingly difficult in modern life to achieve what used to come more naturally to us, is seven unbroken hours really the only way that humans should sleep?
Bi-Phasic (Two Phase) Sleep
Interestingly, while many of us get frustrated when we awaken during the night and can't get back to sleep for an hour or two, in the past bi-phasic sleep was a normal part of our nocturnal habit. People often went to a neighbour's house, read or engaged in other "relaxing" activities for the hour or two they were awake and would then sleep for another few hours until morning. So night time awakening need not necessarily be the source of frustration that it is for many! Knowing about the existence of bi-phasic sleep could reduce the pressure enough to allow for a more relaxing night of zzzzs.
Wired & Tired
The greater problem, however, lies in our tendency to head for bed when we're wired and overtired after spending several hours watching TV or having our heads stuck in a mobile phone! If you're going to bed very late as we tend to do today, this could be a problem as it can take hours to unwind from your wired state and you will not have enough time to accrue the "optimal" seven to eight hours of rest in total. However, for those who go to bed at around 22:00 (10pm), waking for an hour or two during the night does not need to be a source of stress and accepting this period of alertness is more conducive to falling asleep again than tossing and turning with worry. Everyone is individual with different needs for food, exercise and sleep too so listen to your body and head to bed as soon as your gut instinct tells you it's time!
Sleep Tips
There are many tweaks we can make to our daily routine to promote better sleep. By incorporating some "sleep tips", you could soon improve your sleep quality and duration.
Walk in the Morning Light
Try to walk in the morning light. Get off the bus a few stops before you need to or drive to work a little early so that you have time to get a short walk in before you start your busy day. The morning light works with your Circadian Rhythm to help your body to produce the hormones required to sleep better later that night.
Aim for Seven to Eight Hours Overall
Most people fall short of this and think they’re fine as they're "functioning" but research shows that the average adult needs about seven hours to avoid health issues and impaired immune function. Obviously the optimal amount varies from person to person depending on age, health status, genetics, etc. Again, it is important to listen to your own body's clues about what is right for you.
Put Away Electronic Devices!
I think by now we are all aware of the harm being caused by our excessive use of electronic gadgets today but it has been highlighted in research that the longer we spend on our devices, the higher the levels of stress and anxiety we experience and the blue light emitted causes our sleep to suffer too. Try to put gadgets away at least an hour before bed and leave them outside the bedroom if possible but at the very least don't keep them close to your head.
Cool Dark Room, Comfy Bed
Although it's nice to have a warm "snug" bedroom, the drop in body temperate is helpful to inducing sleepiness as is blocking light as much as possible. 16-18°C (60-65°F) is thought to be the ideal temperature for a bedroom. Make sure you like your bed! Change your mattress if it's uncomfortable or invest in a topper if a new mattress is out of your budget.
Avoid Large Meals Near Bedtime
Try not to eat a large meal for at least a few hours before bed. If you need a snack, go for a light one such as some nut butter or cheese on oat crackers or some turkey on a slice of wholegrain bread. Notice if the snack helps or hinders your sleep as everyone is different.
Lastly - Listen to Your Body!
My final suggestion is to take note of what you did the previous day on the mornings you wake feeling more energetic. Try to recall what you ate, activities you did, whether you met friends, relaxed, exercised, etc. Then listen to your body and do more of those! There are other ways you can boost your sleep so get in touch here if you would like to work on a personalised programme to improve yours.
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