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Most of us have experienced sleep issues at some stage of our lives and as we get older, the quality and duration of sleep can change. Changes in your body’s circadian rhythms affect when you feel tired, and you also produce less melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. Throw in the clocks going forward, hot summer nights or the darks days of winter plus factors such as medical issues or medications that affect sleep, and it’s no wonder so we struggle to routinely get a good night’s sleep.
Knowing that what you’re experiencing is normal can be helpful – or at least one less thing to worry about as you try to nod off at night! These tips from sleep experts will make a difference – try them tonight!
1. Kick-start your body clock
A lie-in is tempting after a restless night, but our body clocks thrive on routine. Sleep practitioner Kerry Davies suggests setting your alarm for the same time every day and sticking to the same bedtime too, even on the weekend. “If you do this continuously, it regulates your body clock, which ultimately makes it easier to fall asleep and improves the quality of sleep you’re getting.”
2. Detox your environment
“Keep light, noise and temperature consistent overnight,” says sleep behaviour expert James Wilson. “If a light flicks off, or your TV times out, your brain registers something has changed and it thinks it needs to wake up. Switch off devices before bed, use blackout blinds and consider playing white noise, which can help drown out street sounds.”
3. Relax into bedtime
Spend 45 minutes to two hours winding down before you sleep. “Focus on dropping your heart rate and helping your body decompress,” says James. This might involve reading, adult colouring or listening to a guided meditation on an app like Calm or Headspace. Avoid watching videos on devices because the blue light revs up your body clock.
4. Set an alarm
“You need an alarm for your wind down just like you need one to wake up,” says Dr Aric A Prather. “When it goes off, wrap up whatever you’re doing. Don’t do your wind down in bed – it could undermine your sleep later if you spend too much time in bed leading up to sleep time.”
5. Write a list
If you wake in the night, worrying about unfinished jobs, sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan suggests writing your to-do lists at the end of the day. “You’re telling your brain ‘I know what I need to do tomorrow, so I can leave it behind me now,” she says. This helps you feel in control, which helps you sleep.
6. Get an early night
“Ever heard the old-fashioned saying that an hour before midnight is worth two after?” asks Dr Nerina. “Your best quality of sleep is obtained when your circadian rhythm is at its lowest point, usually between 10pm and 5am. The phase before midnight is when levels of stress hormones start to drop off and we get a substantial hit of deep sleep.”
7. Keep it cool
“To sleep well, there needs to be a fractional temperature difference between our body and brain – a warm body and a cool head,” says Dr Nerina. “Experiment with open windows, duvet thickness and choice of bedclothes. The key is to keep warm in a cool room.”
8. Make your bed your sleep trigger
“Don’t do other things in bed – no phone, no laptop, no book. It won’t always be this way but when you’re trying to fix your sleep issue, be as clear to your body as you possibly can,” says Dr Aric A. Prather. If you’ve spent 20-30 minutes trying to sleep to no avail, get up and transition back into wind down mode. Dr Prather says if getting out of bed at night is tricky for you, sit all the way up to make it clear to your body you’re not in sleep mode, and move to the other side of the bed from where you sleep.
9. Try not to sleep
Sleep Professor Colin Espie suggests “people with insomnia would do well to abandon all their efforts to sleep well. Trying to sleep doesn’t work – it only keeps you awake. Good sleepers generally fall asleep when they’re trying to stay awake. The poor sleeper can copy this by telling themselves, ‘Just keep your eyes open for a minute or two longer’. This stops the effort to sleep and strengthens the sleep drive.”
10. Take an online course
Professor Colin Espie’s scientifically proven digital programme Sleepio will re-educate your body to sleep. It provides a tailored, six-week sleep plan based on cognitive behaviour therapy, and is available on the NHS in some areas. Otherwise, it costs £3.85 per week.
What do your dreams mean?
Falling
Falling dreams typically occur during the first stage of sleep and are often accompanied by muscle spasms or jerking. They can be your mind’s way of drawing your attention to feelings of frustration and loss of control. Your subconscious is urging you to identify the source of feelings of uncertainty and to find a solution – even if that means accepting your limitations.
Teeth falling out
This represents feelings of insecurity or inadequacy, and often occurs in times of transition. It can also mirror anxieties about getting older and how others perceive you. Animal teeth represent aggression, while false teeth signal concern about self-image.
Being pregnant
Dreaming you are pregnant, or hoping to be, is an example of wish-fulfilment. It could also suggest a yearning for unconditional love and acceptance, or indicate a period of necessary waiting before the completion of a project.
Being naked
Being naked in your dream conveys the idea you are feeling vulnerable, exposed or judged in some way. Being partly dressed in a dream may suggest you are not prepared for what lies ahead. If the people in the dream seem unaware of your state of undress, this implies you shouldn’t worry about showing your real self.
Meeting a celebrity
This may signify wanting the recognition that routinely comes celebrities’ way. Being singled out by a celebrity in your dream suggests that you somehow feel undervalued or taken for granted by those around you.
A malfunctioning lift
Elevators tend to reflect progress with a current situation or problem in life. If the elevator has a malfunction, you are not getting what you bargained for or may be contributing unwittingly to a pattern that is no longer in your best interests.
Meet our experts
James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan is a physiologist and sleep expert
Kerry Davies is a sleep practitioner who works with families
Colin Espie is Professor of Sleep Medicine and co-founder of Sleepio
Dr Aric A. Prather is a professor of psychiatry and author of new book The Seven-Day Sleep Prescription