Do you wake up feeling rested, refreshed and raring to go? Or dry-eyed, wild-haired and more tired than you were the night before? We all know that sleep is essential for our wellbeing, but according to the NHS, one in three people struggle to get a good night’s kip. To mark World Sleep Day on March 15, here are some facts about the land of nod – and tips for how to get there.
Why do we sleep?
We spend around a third of our lives asleep, giving our brains time to store memories while our bodies repair any damage and replenish those all-important energy levels. Research shows that ‘beauty sleep’ is not an old wives’ tale, as our skin renews itself as we snooze – worth remembering when you’re having a late-night box set binge. One more episode? Perhaps not.
How much do we need?
According to the Sleep Council, babies should have 14 to 15 hours’ sleep a day, while toddlers require 12 to 14. Three to 12-year-olds need between 10 and 12 hours, teenagers should get between eight and 10, and adults require between seven and nine hours, dropping to seven to eight hours for the over-65s.
Meanwhile a cat naps for around 12.1 hours a day, a dog for 10.6 and a horse for just 2.9 hours. Even insects and plants have their own forms of sleep.
Wide awake
Health issues and stress can disrupt our slumber, as can snoring bedfellows, parenting, the menopause, shift work, jet lag or living next door to an aspiring guitarist. Sleepless nights leave us grumpy and less efficient, but long-term insomnia has real risks too: according to the NHS, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, depression and diabetes are all linked with a lack of sleep.
Bedtime stories for grown-ups
Author Phoebe Smith writes soothing stories for a sleep app called Calm to help people drift off. Her most popular – Blue Gold, read by Stephen Fry – has been listened to more than 15 million times. ‘With most kinds of writing I’m trying to build the tension,’ she says. ‘Here, I’m doing the opposite.’
Sweet dreams
Whether you’re flying, falling, late for an exam, naked in public, losing your teeth, running away with jelly-legs, discovering extra rooms in your house or sharing a pina colada with Noel Edmonds and a well-dressed ferret, don’t worry – dreaming is just your brain’s natural way of sifting through your anxieties, frustrations and aspirations. Google yours for entertainment and possible enlightenment.
Calm your room
If you have trouble sleeping, it could be time for a bedroom make-over. Clashing colours and busy wallpaper may be in vogue, but think muted rather than migraine-inducing and decorate with cool hues such as blue, cream or beige. Clear the clutter, putting away anything you don’t use daily, and remove any non-essential furniture – especially that chair you use as a dumping ground for clothes that are too dirty for the drawer but too clean for the laundry basket.
Bedded bliss
The Sleep Council recommends changing your mattress every seven years, and do invest in the best: when you think how much time you spend on it, it’s worth every penny. For good feng shui, position your bed as far away from the door as possible with space either side, and choose natural fibres for your bedding such as cotton, wool or silk – absolutely no sweaty synthetics!
Eat well, sleep well
What we eat in the evening may impact how we sleep, says Emma Williams, Partner and senior nutritionist, who recommends avoiding rich or high-fat foods that take longer to digest. ‘There is some evidence that magnesium supplements might help sleep,’ she says. ‘For those not keen on a supplement, try foods that provide magnesium, such as muesli-based cereals, dried figs or a portion of plain almonds.’
Establish a wind-down routine
Try to go upstairs at the same time every night, have a warm bath, spritz sleep-friendly scents – such as lavender, bergamot or jasmine – onto your pillow, and do some simple breathing exercises. Sipping warm milk or caffeine-free herbal teas can also help when it’s time to hit the hay: try Waitrose & Partners LoveLife Camomile, Pukka Night Time, Teapigs Snooze, Twinings Sleep or Clipper’s – wait for it – Snore and Peace.
Ditch the phone
Don’t bring your phone into the bedroom as the urge to peek is relentless, and the screen’s light will trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime. It’s hard, but you know it makes sense: after all, you wouldn’t give a phone to a child who couldn’t sleep.
If you use yours as an alarm clock or in case of people ringing in an emergency, plug your charger in the hallway and leave your phone there – you’ll still hear it.
Don’t fret
Wide awake in the wee hours? Tossing and turning will only make you more stressed, so some experts recommend getting up and do something mindless, like cleaning the loo. Or, if your brain becomes a tumble drier of trivial worries and repetitive thoughts during the night, keep a pen and paper beside the bed and jot them down.
Trying to force yourself to sleep will only have the opposite effect. Just relax, accept that you’re awake – and that being awake isn’t the end of the world – and you’ll soon drift off.
(c) Waitrose Weekend