6 natural sleep strategies for winter
There are two types of people in the world: those who sleep well most nights and the rest of us.
If you belong to the second group, you'll understand the helplessness and annoyance of a bad night's sleep, followed by a day of exhaustion and too much sugar. The latest figures tell us that our sleep is bad and getting worse. One in three adults experience sleep problems and, according to a study by the charity Nuffield Health, 74 per cent of us have reported a decline in sleep quality.
A quarter of people said they were kept awake by money worries and more than a third cited work stress. Then there is the one in ten of us who, even without stressful situations, suffer from chronic insomnia, where sleeplessness takes on a life of its own.
"Insomnia is a lonely condition," says Dr Sophie Bostock, a behavioural psychologist and sleep scientist at thesleepscientist.com. "This isn't simply because you're awake when others are asleep, but because of what happens to the sleep-deprived brain.
"We respond to short sleep by going into high alert, diverting resources away from our decision-making machinery. We get more impulsive, have less control over our emotions and struggle to focus, empathise and make logical, sensible decisions."
Chronic insomnia is defined as having trouble sleeping for three days or more per week for more than three months. Repeated studies also show that poor sleepers are more susceptible to depression, as well as physical illnesses such as heart disease and infections.
This can be concerning news if you have trouble sleeping – and yet there are things you can do. Whether you're after small sleep tweaks or need an overhaul, here's the latest advice.
1. Let go of the magic 8
There's an often-repeated mantra that eight hours is the sleep sweet spot. Harvard Health published a paper based on studies that followed people's long-term experience of heart disease, diabetes and mental health difficulties. It found that people who slept between seven and nine hours were at lower risk of becoming sick in the future.
However, experts such as Dr Bostock believe a perfect night's sleep might differ. "Duration can depend on your genes, age and lifestyle," she says. Optimum sleep operates on a bell curve and varies from person to person. Some people have a "short sleep" gene. The top line? "Whether it's six or eight hours, if you wake refreshed, chances are you're getting enough rest."
2. Respect your body clock
The gold standard of sleep treatment is a talking therapy called CBT-I or cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.
The starting point is a fixed routine for your day. "We are biologically programmed to do the same things at the same time from starting to move in the morning to eating and interacting," says Dr Bostock. "When our clocks get confused and out of sync, scientists call this circadian disruption. We can still operate but are slightly subpar."
Set a waking up time and stick to it, avoiding lie-ins even at weekends. CBT-I therapists also encourage people to go to bed only when they're sleepy.
3. Follow the 15-minute rule
CBT-I also involves sleep restriction, limiting how long you spend in bed and using your bed just for sleep rather than rest. This increases your sleep efficiency.
"If you're in bed for 15 minutes and are still wide awake, you should get up and read a book," says Dr Bostock. It is generally better to avoid watching TV or using technology, as the blue light it emits affects melatonin, the hormone in your brain that promotes sleep.
Experts concede, however, that if your TV, laptop or tablet really does help you to drop off, it might create more stress to do without it. Just avoid work emails, scary films or anything that might overstimulate you.
4. Embrace the first light
Our sleep cycle or circadian rhythm is governed by light and dark. "Exposure to natural light tells the brain that the day has begun, banishing the sleep hormone melatonin, and activating the cortisol awakening response," says Dr Bostock.
While cortisol is known as a stress hormone, it also gets us going at the start of the day. "Many people have a delayed internal rhythm during winter," she says. "An early walk will wake you up, through movement and by stopping the production of melatonin." Getting outside will give you more energy during the day, as well as making it easier to fall asleep at night.
5. Tune into your inner lark
At this time of year, it's even more important to channel your internal lark. In 2019, US scientists led a study to explain the differences between night owls, who stay up late and get up late, and larks, who go to sleep early and wake up early.
They categorised people into "chronotypes", which can help you regulate your circadian rhythm. Recent research by Surrey and Birmingham universities explored what happened when 22 night owls adopted the behavioural patterns of early birds. After three weeks, participants had faster reaction times and lower levels of stress and depression.
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6. Reframe your nocturnal narrative
Staring at the numbers on the alarm clock, counting down until when you have to get up, can pile on the stress.
"If you're having a bad night, try not to panic or catastrophe," says Dr Bostock. "Tell yourself you're not a bad sleeper, you're just having a bad night." And it's true: if you don't sleep, the world won't explode. Tomorrow night, you may well sleep. By removing the stress, you might feel so relaxed that you even drop off.
"The idea is to stop your bedroom becoming a war zone," says Dr Bostock. "If you hate your bed, you’re going to feel anxious and therefore not relaxed enough to drift into sleep."
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