Are you one of the 75 per cent of adults who frequently suffer from sleep problems?
Poor sleep can lead to:
Social and intimate relationship problems
And it's not just the quantity of sleep that is important, but the quality as well. Only 50 per cent of people report that they sleep well on most nights and 1 in 4 people say sleep problems have some influence on their daily lives.
And just because you are not noticing any symptoms does not mean that you are in the clear. Without a doubt, sleeping well is absolutely essential if you are ever to achieve optimal health and wellness, so even if you are feeling fine, your lack of quality sleep is affecting your body's performance.
Getting enough sleep is also vitally important to your work performance. It will affect almost everything from your ability to think clearly and problem-solve, to your productivity and even your work relationships.
Many animals realise that a great way to combat lack of sleep is the midday nap, in fact my little puppy is demonstrating it right now. Research on napping suggests that an afternoon nap as short as 10 minutes can enhance alertness, mood, and mental performance, especially after a night of poor sleep. In fact it seems that a nap shorter than 10 minutes has no desirable effect and that anything longer than half an hour leads to you feeling even drowsier in the afternoon.
Dr Brett Hill's top 5 tips for better sleep
1. Avoid alcohol, caffeine before and bedtime snacks (particularly grains and sugars) which will inhibit your sleep.
2. Wind down before you go to bed: relax and meditate, or read a book.
3. Sleep in complete darkness or as close to it as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin.
4. Ensure that you are getting quality and quantity spinal movement during the day. This helps switch off the stress response in your body and allows you to fully relax.
5. Try a midday nap to help you perform better in the afternoon.
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sleeping beauty syndrome