This weekend sees our clocks going back to what is called GMT during the early hours of Sunday morning. Many of us are grateful for that extra hour of sleep; however, as the weeks go on, some people struggle to adjust to the darker evenings and shorter days.
We have an excellent opportunity to focus on our physical Self-Care by checking on our sleep habits and practices. A good night’s sleep isn’t just about resting, but allowing our body to repair itself.
There’s a benefit to our emotional health as well.
The loss of a few hours of sleep over 2 or 3 nights in a week might not sound significant but has been shown to reduce our ability to regulate our emotional states by as much as 30%.
Some work now on our sleep habits will set us up for the winter and keep us physically, emotionally and mentally healthy.
Here’s a list of things to work on to get better at sleeping or to help us get out of the way of our body sending us to sleep.
1) Wake up at the same time each day and go to sleep when you first start to feel sleepy. Pushing on through those moments of being tired will mean you struggle to fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night.
2) Avoid caffeine within 8-10 hours of bedtime. Caffeine doesn’t just mean coffee, it’s in tea and energy drinks too. I don’t have any caffeine after 2 pm but know others who go later without effect.
3) Avoid viewing bright lights. Particularly after 10 pm. I don’t want anyone hurting themselves walking around the house in the dark but if you can manage without switching on overhead lights you’ll find it easier to get (Back) to sleep.
4) Get outside into daylight within 30-60 minutes of waking up. If you can head outside in the afternoon and before sunset too. We don’t need to be looking directly at the sun, however any amount of natural light we can get first thing in the morning will help wake up our natural circadian clocks. Further exposure in the afternoon will help keep it running true and get you ready for sleep later in the day.
5) Keep your bedroom cool and dark. We sleep better in a cooler room than when we are awake, about 1 - 3 degrees C for most people. Layers of blankets that we can discard are probably better than a thick duvet. Blackout blinds and curtains make a budget friendly way to keep out unwanted light. Phones dimmed or switched off help too.
6) Avoid alcohol. Sometimes this isn’t a popular suggestion however alcohol knocks us out rather than sends us to sleep. Unassisted sleep (including over the counter and prescription medications) is the best way forward.
7) Waking up in the night is normal. We go through peaks and troughs of awakeness in our sleep, trust your body to get you back to sleep.
8) You don’t sleep like a baby. Our sleep needs and habits change as we get older. Despite it being often repeated babies don’t sleep through the night and neither do you.
I'm always happy to talk about sleep, it's so important to good mental health.
If you know a colleague who has struggled for a while, I’ve trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) and I’m available to talk about helping people get a good night's sleep on a regular basis.
You'll find me on campus every Thursday morning, book an appointment by email or WhatsApp
