Sleep your way to better health
Not in a sexy way, sorry
The wellness world is obsessed with sleep. It was ever thus. But it feels particularly so right now, with the clocks going forward at the end of the month in the UK, and it being World Sleep Day on Friday.
Like every journalist who writes about wellbeing at this time of year, my inbox is flooded with press releases from brands promising the perfect night’s sleep. There are apps and gadgets galore, from temperature-controlled mattresses and wraparound headphones, to blue light-blocking glasses and sunrise alarm clocks. And the global market for sleep trackers is predicted to hit an astonishing £60bn by 2032.
How did something that we all do every night become such a obsession?
I’m not here to knock the tech. I have a sunrise alarm clock and I wear an Oura ring (the gamification of getting good sleep works for me; I know that it doesn’t for others). But what I don’t love is this idea of sleep being sold as some kind of a luxury.
Sleep tourism has become a flourishing industry, with hotels offering lavender-infused baths, weighted blankets, silk sleep masks and pitch-black bedrooms described as ‘cocoons’. Meanwhile, London’s Mandarin Oriental has just launched a ‘sleep concierge’, whereby the super-rich can be literally hypnotised to sleep.
Maybe, in an always-on world of artificial light and doomscrolling, sleep actually has become a luxury?
Which is quite scary when you look at the evidence around the negative impact of not getting enough - on everything from our mental health to our immunity.
And it seems that it’s not only how much sleep you get, but between which hours. A study by ZOE and King’s College London found that those who experience 'social jet lag’ (ie. going to bed and waking up later at the weekend - which we ALL do, right?) had increased levels of gut bacteria linked to ‘unfavourable’ health outcomes.
It’s great to be informed, of course. But having just so much information about the negative impact of insufficient sleep can feel scary and overwhelming: not exactly ideal conditions for getting a good night’s sleep.
Many areas of your health, such as nutrition and exercise, can be improved by a certain element of obsession (within reason, of course, calm down). But obsessing over sleep is, clearly, not going to help anyone get to sleep.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the best approach is this:
Follow the sleep hygiene advice - which you probably know, but I’ll do a refresher below, as it’s always useful to be reminded.
Trust that it works (because it does) and then remove ‘worrying about sleep’ from your to-do list.
I know point 2 is easier said than done, so remember that rest is also important. Even if you don’t sleep, it’s beneficial to simply rest your head and close your eyes.
If you’re doing everything right and still struggling to sleep, NHS Scotland has a great guide to dealing with the main culprits. If that fails, then it’s worth a trip to the GP to rule out an underlying issue such as sleep apnoea (85% of the estimated 1.5 million adults with sleep apnoea in the UK are undiagnosed), or perhaps a referral for CBT to support you in calming that whirring brain.Â
Then - and this is important - don’t beat yourself up if you have a period of bad sleep. Parenthood, illness or a stressful time in your work or personal life will have an effect. It happens to everyone. Don’t compound the impact by stressing about it.
During sleepless periods of my own life - early parenthood and chemo - I remember being so anxious about the impact on my body. And honestly, what a pointless waste of time; heaping sleep anxiety on top of everything else I was dealing with.
Humans are resilient and adaptable and designed to cope with periods of less sleep. As with so many things in life, acceptance and optimism are the way forward.Â
So here’s my 10-point sleep hygiene refresher. Implement it, don’t stress about it, and then get on with your life:
Maintain a regular schedule of going to bed and getting up around the same time.
Keep your room cool, and as dark as possible.
Avoid caffeine after lunch.
Go to bed 8-9 hours before getting up, for the best chance of 7-8 hours of sleep.
Switch off screens at least an hour before bed. If you must look at your phone, ensure it’s on dark mode.
Don’t eat a big meal, or drink alcohol, at least two hours before bed.
Create a wind-down routine, which could involve a bath, skincare regime, reading a book, or listening to a meditation or calming podcast (no news please!).Â
Keep lighting soft in the evening (think ‘dimmer after dinner’). Some say ‘candles only’ but, if you’re reading a book, you obviously have to be able to see it.
Get outside as soon as possible after waking, to reset your circadian rhythm and sleep better that night.
This is not usually included among sleep tips but I think it’s important: If you’ve been out with friends and failed to do any of the above, don’t forget that the health benefits of good social connections make up for the odd late night.
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PS. How are you getting on with Quick March? If you haven’t done it every day (or even at all), it doesn’t matter! Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
Start now. What can you do in ten minutes?
I loved reading in Paul Bloom’s newsletter that psycholinguist and cognitive scientist Virginia Valian wrote her dissertation in 15 minutes a day. The full post is below, and includes the writing habits of other great thinkers, many of whom didn’t seem to get much sleep at all. Take from that what you will…
Interesting to read your thoughts on this!! I've always compared our attitudes toward sleep with those toward eating – both acts so essential for good health and yet we feel more inclined to spend money of kitchen gadgets and cookbooks over sleep tech or a good pair of blackout curtains 😅
I think sleep must be on everyone's mind this week. In the U.S., we made the dreaded switch to Daylight Saving Time (which happens to be what my post on Thursday will talk about). It's always great to get a reminder on the nuts and bolts of good sleep hygiene. As you point out, it's so important to good health. I'm intrigued by your comment on losing sleep because of the odd night out and having the social connection offset the sleep schedule disruption. Food for thought that bears looking into further. Thanks!