The A to ZZZ of a good night’s sleep

Do you spend your days dreaming of sleep? We all like it, crave it and when we don’t get it, it’s all we can think about. In a world-wide internet survey examining global sleeping habits (The Sleep Council, 1999-2001) 82% of people considered sleep as important. Jessica Alexander, consultant to the Sleep Council says, “A good sleep on a good bed is vital to people feeling and working at their optimum level.” Yet a good night’s sleep is something most of us are deprived of at some time in our lives. So how do you know if you’re getting enough quality kip?

• Does it take you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night?
• Do you wake up frequently during the night or too early in the morning?
• Do you feel groggy and lethargic on waking and throughout the day?
• Do you struggle to concentrate on your work or studies and fight the urge to nap mid-afternoon?
• Are the dark circles under your eyes growing bigger by the day?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to any one of these questions, you may have what is known by sleep experts as a ‘sleep debt’ (National Sleep Foundation). According to clinicians of sleeping disorders, our brain collects ‘sleep debts’ - it makes us pay back the sleep we owe by devaluing our time awake and charging a high rate of interest in the form of ill health, forcing us to stay in bed (Sleeping Disorders for Dummies, 2004).

What is a ‘good night’s sleep’?

Studies suggest that a minimum of seven hours is required for our optimum health, although the actual amount of sleep we need each night is thought to vary according to the person. Some people don’t feel their best without nine hours; others swear they can get by on five. Quality is just as important as quantity when it comes to sleep - was it fitful or peaceful? Broken or uninterrupted? The sure sign that you slept well the night before is when you wake in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to go!

Common factors causing sleeplessness

Good sleep is particularly crucial for students - lack of it can leave you irritable with headaches, more prone to stress and short-term memory loss, anxiety and illness. The last thing you’ll feel like doing is studying. Sleep problems are caused by a number of factors and range from the easy-to-fix (too much caffeine) to the not so easy to overcome (stress and anxiety). In chronic cases, where you are consistently getting less then six hours of sleep and dread bedtime, a visit to the doctor may be necessary to prevent it leading to serious mental, physical and emotional conditions such as depression. However, most cases of sleep deprivation are temporary and circumstantial and although a good night’s sleep is never a guarantee, there are ways you might be able to increase your chances.

Anything that helps your body and mind to enter a relaxed mode before bedtime is recommended by the sleep experts. So as bedtime nears, it’s best to get yourself into shut down mode - switch off your restless thoughts and leave them for tomorrow. Even practical things can help, like transforming your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary at night, making your bed more inviting for sleep.