I write a lot about sleep for my job, which is a little ironic considering how bad I am at it.
I’ve covered what to do if you wake up at 3am and can’t get back to sleep, but have actually been up since 3:28 today myself (I know, because I checked the clock ― despite having written about why you should not do that).
And while I know that getting to bed after 1am could negatively affect my health, especially as I age, sometimes I get so anxious about not being able to sleep that I can only start to kip after 2am.
I’ve had insomnia for as long as I can remember, and it seems simply knowing better isn’t enough to “fix” it.
With that said, some expert advice has made a meaningful difference. So, this World Sleep Day, I thought I’d share the advice that has made my insomnia a bit more manageable.
1) Getting morning light really does help
A recent study suggested that people who feel sleep-deprived may actually be more fatigued by being put off their Circadian rhythm than the quality or duration of their kip.
That’s just a theory, but one thing every expert I’ve spoken to seems to agree on is that morning light is uniquely helpful for orienting your body’s internal clock.
Dr Chelsea Perry, owner of Sleep Solutions and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, previously told me: “One of the first things I try to do is to get outside into direct sunlight. This helps regulate my circadian rhythm letting my body know it’s morning.”
My morning trips to the gym give me the early UV rays my body clock needs; since starting the habit, I reckon I get about two more pre-11 pm sleeps a week than I would otherwise.
2) Eating too close to bedtime can ruin your sleep
Don’t get me wrong, I was a fan of a late dinner ― but having heard from sleep-specialised psychologist Dr Leah Kaylor and Dr Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, I’ve started putting a three-hour-before-bed limit on the habit.
Any sooner will “significantly impact the quality of sleep, particularly the deeper and more restorative phases such as deep and REM sleep,” Dr Kaylor told us.
Speaking to GQ, Longo agreed ― and seeing as poor sleep, especially in middle age, has been linked to conditions like dementia, he thinks putting the plate down in time may even extend our life.
While I don’t know if it’ll lead to improved longevity, I can tell you I’ve gotten way less heartburn and acid reflux since adopting the habit. Previously, the burning feeling kept me up for hours after my 3 am wake-up call; now, returning to sleep is easier.
3) Really and truly, don’t check the clock
I know this sounds hypocritical, but last night’s clock check was a rare exception ― I also had a 3am wakeup on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and didn’t look at my watch on those occasions.
Probably relatedly, I did eventually manage to get back to sleep those nights.
The advice comes from some studies which suggest there could be some serious benefits to “clock blocking”, or refusing to look at the time when you get up in the middle of the night.
As Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, physiologist and author of Fast Asleep, Wide Awake, told The Guardian, watching the time “is one of the biggest disruptors to being able to get back to sleep.”
4) Don’t become obsessed with your sleep
I mentioned my fear of the smartwatch sleep report at the start of my article.
Perhaps I should consider taking it off at night ― after all, sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan from Oak Tree Mobility previously told me that “there’s a form of insomnia… called ‘orthosomia’, a term for the obsession with getting a good night’s sleep.”
I have noticed that nights when I simply accept my sleeplessness tend to be more restful.
James Lloyd, a psychotherapist at Ceangail Psychotherapy, even shared that willing yourself awake at night when you can’t get back to sleep can even bring you back to the land of nod thanks to “paradoxical intention.”
“When someone tries too hard to sleep, they create pressure and worry that paradoxically keeps them awake. By flipping the script and intentionally staying awake, [paradoxical intention] can help break that anxiety-driven cycle,” he previously told HuffPost UK.
The couple of times I’ve been bold enough to try it, I’ve been pretty impressed by the results.
#Insomnia #Expert #Tips #Helped
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