Before fatigue wreaks havoc on your health, pinpoint what’s keeping you up so you can get a solid night’s sleep.
Do you constantly use the word ‘tired’ to describe how you’re feeling? More than 1.2 million Australians feel the same way. This statistic is worrying as experts suggest a healthy amount of sleep goes well beyond making you feel on top of your game, improving your mood and preventing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can help reduce stress, increase your energy, boost concentration, reduce accidents, help maintain a healthy weight, improve heart and immune system health, and may even add years to your life.
The good news is there are plenty of ways you can beat a bad night’s sleep. We’ve identified the most common sleep challenges and revealed how you can get a satisfying 40 winks – starting tonight.
(1) “I can’t fall asleep”
Ideally you should fall asleep within 30 minutes of your head hitting the pillow. However, if sleep eludes you this can be stressful, which makes your sleeplessness worse. “It’s perfectly normal for it take between 15 and 30 minutes to fall asleep, but if it takes any longer than 30 minutes, three times a week over four weeks, this is defined as chronic insomnia,” says Dr Delwyn Bartlett, psychologist and insomnia specialist at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: An inability to fall asleep quickly is often caused by people teaching themselves to think in bed, says Bartlett.
“People who sleep well let sleep happen, and don’t go to bed and start thinking or worrying,” she says. Remember your bed is a place for sleep and sex only. Before you go anywhere near it at night, write down tomorrow’s to-do list. This gets anything you’re concerned about out of your head and will help you rest easy as you’ve let go of the day’s worries.
(2) “I can’t stay asleep”
Waking throughout the night or in the early hours of the morning is a common complaint. If you suffer from frequent waking you may be experiencing sleep maintenance insomnia, which suggests you’re not getting enough deep sleep and are likely to be tired during the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, these mid-sleep awakenings often occur during periods of stress, and depression may also be a factor.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Waking during the night is normal, reassures Bartlett. “On average we wake between three and four times a night.” Waking up isn’t the problem – it’s if you start thinking or become wired that causes an issue, she says. If you find your mind starts racing, get up. Sit on your bedroom floor in the dark and do nothing.
This may help calm a racing mind, but the main aim is to become bored and uncomfortable so sleeping in your bed will feel like a much better option.
(3) “I’ve been told I snore”
Snoring is relatively harmless, but if you wake up feeling unrefreshed or suffer daytime drowsiness this may indicate sleep apnoea. This affects about two per cent of women, reports the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health. Each time the throat becomes blocked, your breathing stops for a few seconds to one minute until the brain registers the drop in oxygen levels and sends a small wake-up call.
This pattern can repeat itself hundreds of times every night, causing fragmented sleep, leaving you feeling fatigued.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Obesity is one of the most common causes of sleep apnoea, and a loss of about 5kg to 10kg may be enough to significantly reduce the severity of sleep apnoea. If lifestyle changes don’t improve your condition, a mask worn at night that keeps the back of the throat open by forcing air through the nose, called nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), may be required. Another treatment is a mouthguard, which works by holding your jaw forward during sleep.
(4) “Every little disturbance wakes me up”
There are many causes of sleep disturbance. However, if you’re constantly battling to get a peaceful night’s sleep this may be because you’re consciously monitoring your environment. Insomniacs tend to remain focused on what’s happening around them instead of letting go and giving in to a deeper sleep, explains Bartlett.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: To create an environment that encourages sleep, the US National Sleep Foundation has these tips: Block out unwanted sounds with earplugs or use white noise such as a fan; ensure your bedroom isn’t too hot or cold – above 23°C or below 12°C; and keep televisions, computers and mobile phones out of the bedroom as they are also sleep stealers.
(5) “I’m too wired to sleep”
Stress is just one side effect of feeling under the pump. And if you’re constantly burning the candle at both ends, worrying about making ends meet, and multi-tasking household and work priorities, your sleep may suffer as a result. Long-term activation of the stress-response system – and overexposure to stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline – puts you at an increased risk of numerous health problems, including disrupted sleep, reports the Mayo Clinic.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Take time to wind down before you hit the sack at night as this will give your body time to transition from the full-throttle speed you’ve been going at all day to a slower pace, ready for sleep. You can do this by turning your TV, computer and smartphone off and having a relaxing bath by candlelight; listening to soft music; reading by a low light; or doing some gentle stretching and deep breathing.
(6) “I struggle with drowsiness”
If you’re dragging yourself through the day it’s important to establish whether you’re getting enough sleep. “We know people aren’t valuing sleep and think it’s the one thing they can do without, especially when they’re busy,” says Bartlett
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Listen to your body-go to bed when you’re tired and get up at the same time each day. If you’re short on sleep, allow yourself an extra one to two hours on a Saturday morning, not a Sunday, otherwise you can set up a bad sleep cycle. “If you sleep in on Sunday, you’re likely to try and go to bed early that night as it’s the beginning of the working week,” says Bartlett, “and as a consequence you may not have enough sleep debt to fall asleep.”
(7) “My legs tingle and twitch at night”
Restless leg syndrome affects up to 10 percent of adults and sleep deprivation is one of the
more common side effects, as you may need to get up and walk around to alleviate the cramps.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: The Mayo Clinic suggests the following tips for reducing symptoms:
BATHS & MASSAGES may relax your muscles; apply warm or cool packs, or alternate the two to lessen the sensations.
TRY RELAXATION TECHNIQUES such as yoga to ease stress. Establish good sleep hygiene, as fatigue tends to worsen symptoms.
MODERATE, REGULAR EXERCISE may also relieve symptoms, but don’t overdo it at the gym, or work out too late in the day as this may intensify symptoms.
CUT BACK on caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.
(8) “My bed is very crowded”
Do you let your furry friend sleep in your bed at night? According to a survey by the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, many people with sleep problems share their bedrooms with their cats and dogs.
Fifty-three per cent of pet owners considered their sleep to be disrupted to some extent every night. Scratching, restlessness, snoring and needing to be let out so they can go to the toilet are just some of the reasons pets can disrupt your slumber.
your pets vying for some space at the bottom of your bed, sharing your bed is very disruptive, agrees Bartlett. If getting a larger bed is out of the question, consider kicking your furry friends out.
However, lead author of the survey Dr John Shepard suggests weighing up the pros and cons of your sleeping arrangement, as you may be attached to your pets and find their presence comforting.
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