J

SLEEP

Tips for

BETTER SLEEP

Sleep and sleep problems

There is no correct amount of sleep that everyone must have.

Sleep is a natural process that is not directly under our control.

Our bodies take what they need. In the short-term our bodies

will adjust the type and quality of sleep to make sure we stay

healthy.

If people think they are not sleeping enough, it can be worrying

to them. In fact, research has shown that people who think

they are poor sleepers and those who think they are good

sleepers both sleep for about the same amount of time. So

although some people may think they are not sleeping

enough, in fact they probably are.

It is not possible never to sleep. Studies have shown that

people cannot keep going without sleep. Even if people are

deprived of sleep for long periods, they always fall asleep in the

end!

This is not to say that worrying about lack of sleep is not a very

real problem to some people. There are many different

reasons for sleep problems. They might be:

 stress, anxiety or worry

when we are stressed or anxious

our bodies are more alert and our

minds tend to be full of worrying

thoughts

 surroundings

noise, too much heat or cold, an

uncomfortable bed, or too much

light can all affect sleep patterns

 food/drink

drinks with caffeine and foods that

are hard to digest can cause the

body to be too alert to sleep

 medication

some medicines can make you

feel too awake. Check with your

GP if you think your poor sleep

might be linked to your

medication

 getting older

the normal effects of ageing

mean that less sleep is needed, or

that people tend to doze during

the day

 disrupted routine

changing shift patterns or having

a baby can change sleep

patterns

 pain

some medical conditions cause

chronic pain, which makes

sleeping difficult

 bladder problems

many people have to get up at

night to go to the toilet

 not enough exercise

lack of exercise can mean your

body is not tired enough to need

much sleep

Worry / pain / health

problems / other things

Disturbed sleep

Establishing a better sleep pattern

There is no quick solution to sleep problems. You have to train

yourself and your body to behave in a way that helps you have

a good sleep pattern. The best way to get a better night's

sleep is to develop a good routine and stick to it. Below are

some rules you should try to follow:

 Use the second half of the evening to unwind. Your mind

and body need to rest before you go to bed. Set a

deadline for work or activity 90 minutes before bedtime. If

you usually have a racing mind and tend to worry at

bedtime then try to save you worrying until a specific ‘worry

time’ every day at the same time which is not too close to

bedtime.

 Plan a bedtime that can become a regular time, about 8-9

hours before your alarm will ring the next day.

 Be careful about what you eat and drink for 2-3 hours

before bedtime:

 Avoid drinks and hot beverages which contain caffeine.

These drinks can make us feel more awake and can

disrupt our sleep. Some drinks which include caffeine and

should be avoided close to bed are; tea, coffee, energy

drinks and fizzy juice. If you enjoy a hot drink before

bedtime try caffeine–free alternatives such as herbal teas

(such as camomile), Horlicks and Ovaltine.

 Try to refrain from having a heavy meal close to bedtime.

When food is digested through the night it can cause

discomfort and disturb our sleep. If you feel hungry close

to bedtime or during the night when you wake up then

have a light snack.

 Try to avoid exercise too close to bed as this can make us

feel more alert and have a negative impact on our sleep.

However, exercise during the day can make us feel more

tired at bedtime so try and make some form of exercising

part of your daily routine.

 If you are a smoker, try to cut down the amount you smoke

in the evening. Nicotine is a stimulant drug which makes us

feel more awake. If you struggle to stop smoking in the

evening then try having a few puffs rather than a full

cigarette.

 Many people believe that having a wee ‘night cap’ at

bedtime helps them sleep. Consuming alcoholic drinks

close to bedtime actually does the opposite and causes us

to repeatedly wake up during the night. Try not to have

alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.

 Make sure that your bed and your bedroom environment is

as relaxing and inviting as it can be. Try and avoid clutter so

that have less things to pay attention to when you are going

to bed to sleep. If your mattress isn’t comfortable then try

and invest in a new one or a mattress protector. Make sure

your pillows and duvet are comfortable as well.

 Limit noise and light as far as possible when you are in your

bedroom. This is because we are more likely to fall asleep

and stay asleep when we are surrounded by darkness and

silence. If you live near a main road it might be helpful to

invest in ear plugs and black out curtains.

 Try and make sure your room is cool (not cold) and well

ventilated. Research suggests that we are more likely to fall

asleep and stay asleep if our bedroom is at the right

temperature.

 Do not watch television, use a computer/tablet device or

smart phone in your bedroom or close to bedtime. These

pieces of technology emit blue light which stop us from

producing melatonin (sleep hormone) so we end up feeling

more awake rather than sleepy. Using these items in the

bedroom also train our brain to associate the bedroom with

a place of alertness rather than sleep. This then maintains

our sleeping problem.

 If you do not fall asleep within 15 minutes, get out of bed

and go to another room until you feel sleepy-tired. This is the

feeling you get when your eyes feel heavy and you feel like

you need to close them. It can be helpful to do something

which helps you relax in this room. This could be reading a

book, listening to some music or trying one of the relaxation

exercises. Repeat this step as often as you need to as

practice makes perfect with this technique.

 Avoid clock watching when you are trying to get to sleep. It

is common for people to do this when they are worried

about how much sleep they are going to get and how this

will affect them the next day, “If I don’t get to sleep soon I

will only have had three hours sleep and be a zombie at

work tomorrow”. This worry delays us getting to sleep so it is

best to try and make sure your alarm clock is out of reach or

covered up to avoid the temptation to look at it.

Remember it’s the noise of the clock that wakes us up so

there is no reason to have a peek during the night!

 Set the alarm to the same rising time every day. If you

wake up before the alarm, try to lie quietly and enjoy the

comfortable feeling of being in bed until you need to get

up.

 Avoid napping through the day to make sure you are tired

at bedtime. If you have to nap then make sure it is between

20-30 minutes as research shows this napping time should

give you the boost of energy that you need.

 Do not take extra sleep to make up for a previous bad

night’s sleep. You are trying to retrain your body to a new

routine, so keep to your new programme.

 Stick to the programme for several weeks in order to set up

a regular pattern.

What to do when you first get into bed

 Do not try too hard to fall asleep.

 Tell yourself that 'sleep will come when it is ready', that

'relaxing in bed is almost as good'.

 Try to keep your eyes open in the darkened room and, as

they (naturally) try to close, tell yourself to 'resist that for

another few seconds'. This approach 'tempts' sleep to take

over.

 Visualise a pleasing scene or try repeating a neutral word

(such as 'the') to yourself every few seconds if you start

having a racing mind.

Developing relaxation skills

If you start to become anxious about not sleeping, controlling

your breathing can be a very good way to make you feel

calmer.

Breathing Exercises

 STEP 1: breathe in through your nose for the count of four

seconds' one elephant, 2 elephant, 3 elephant, 4

elephant'

 STEP 2: hold your breathforthe count of two seconds

 STEP 3: Breathe out through your mouth for the count of

six seconds

Repeat these three steps until you begin to feel calm.

Don’t take too many deep breaths in a row or breathe too

quickly, or you will become dizzy. Take a few ordinary breaths

in between the deep ones.

It can be common for this to feel difficult at first so it might be

helpful to try reducing your breathing in and breathing out

times by 1- 2 seconds which may make it a more comfortable

pace for you.

Worries

Clean Your Head – Ready For Bed

The commonest reason people give for not sleeping is that they

lie in bed worrying. One way of dealing with worrying thoughts

is to plan your days ahead. Hold a daily planning session,

which you use to work through your worries and problems.

This series of self-help materials includes a booklet on worry.

See back page for how to obtain a free copy of this.

Planning sessions

 Set aside 20 minutes in the early evening, after your meal.

 Sit in a quiet room. Have pencil and notebook to hand.

 Think about how the day has gone. Write down the things

you achieved.

 Think about problem areas and anything you haven't

finished. Write down a plan on how you intend to tackle

each of these and when you will do so. Do not do anything

about them at this time.

 If these matters are on your mind when you are in bed, put

them off until daytime. Remind yourself that you have

already written down a plan for the worry.

 If it is a new worry/problem and you cannot stop thinking

about it, get out of bed, and add it to your planning list.

Remind yourself that bed is not the place to think about

such things and that you can do no more. The problem is

on your list and you will look at it closely the following day.

Summary of things to avoid close to bedtime

 drinks with caffeine

 heavy food

 too much activity too near bedtime

 watching TV in bed

Further help

Websites on sleep

www.sleepfoundation.org

http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-

health-problems/sleep-problems/what-are-sleep-

problems.aspx?o=10124

Helplines

Breathing Space – mental health helpline

(Mon-Thurs: 6pm-2am)

(Weekend: Fri 6pm-Mon 6am) Tel: 0800 83 85 87

Samaritans - confidential support for anyone in a crisis

National Helpline (24 hours a day) Tel: 116 123

E-mail Helpline [email protected] (answer within 24 hours)

Visit Local Branch 21 West Port Selkirk TD7 4DG

Books

Butler, G, Grey, N, and Hope, T. (2018) Manage Your Mind,

Third Edition. Oxford

ISBN: 978-0198747277 (Section 6 is particularly relevant)

Jacobs, Gregg (2009) Say Goodnight to Insomnia: The Six-

Week, Drug-Free Program Developed at Harvard Medical

School Rodale ISBN: 978-1905744381

Wilson, Paul (2016) The Little Book of Calm Penguin

ISBN: 978-0241257449140285260

Worwood, Valerie Ann (1997) The Fragrant Mind Bantam

ISBN: 978-0553407990 (An easy read on aromatherapy)

Worwood, Valerie Ann (2016) Bantam The Complete Book of

Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Revised and Expanded, 25

Anniversary edition New World Library ISBN: 978-1577311393

(Complete guide to aromatherapy.)

Espie, Colin (2006) Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems

Constable & Robinson ISBN: 978-1845290702

Apps for mobile phone and tablets

A range of self-help apps are available for your mobile phone

and tablet. Some of these apps are free of charge, whilst

others have a cost attached depending on the developer.

Please use the link below to view some suggested self-help

apps for different mental health problems:

https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/category/mental-health/

Booklets/leaflets available on the following:

Agoraphobia

Anger

Anxiety

Bereavement

Depression

Hyperventilation

Loss

OCD

Panic (short version and long version)

Phobia

How to solve problems: a simple DIY technique

Relaxation

Self-Esteem

Self-Harm

Self-Help Websites

Stress

Trauma

Worry

Copies of any of the above booklets are available to

download/print at:

nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk/wellbeing

S Black, R Donald, M Henderson 2005

NHS Borders

Developed with assistance from: The National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well Being

www.wellontheweb.net

Revised Jan 2020

Review Jan 2021

SH10.9