24 hours to a better sleep

We typically sleep less than we’d like to: in a pre-2020 research study, 56% of us claimed we’d like to sleep 8 hours a night but only 21% of us actually did. It’s become even harder for many of us to get a good night’s sleep as we have all tried to adjust to the ‘new normal’ of living through a pandemic. Research suggests that 6 in 10 of us have been experiencing poor sleep since the arrival of the COVID-19.

As life begins to return to normal, it’s time to address all of the less than healthy habits we may have picked up during lockdown – and that includes sleep. A bad night’s sleep isn’t just about waking up tired and irritable; it can actually be bad for our long-term health. Sleep delivers benefits as diverse as helping us maintain a healthy weight to lowering our risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary heart disease. And it also feels good. Find out what you could do over the next 24 hours to improve your sleeping habits.

This afternoon: Cut the caffeine

Caffeine interferes with the process of falling asleep and prevents deep sleep, so it’s best avoided for at least four hours before you go to bed (it could be longer depending on how sensitive you are to caffeine). Try drinking caffeine free alternatives to tea and coffee instead. Energy drinks and colas also contain caffeine, so be careful not to drink those before bed either. If you like to take a drink to bed, try warm milk or a herbal tea.

This afternoon: Make your bedroom a calm place for sleeping

Your bedroom should be a peaceful place that is only used for rest and sleep. If you have been having to use it as a home office during the day, make sure you remove all traces of work before bedtime.

Think about what makes it hard for you to go to sleep or causes you to wake up during the night and make the necessary adjustments. Are you too hot or too cold? Adjust the temperature. Is it too bright? Blackout blinds or an eye mask could help. Is there too much noise? Try foam earplugs.

This afternoon/evening: Don’t take a nap

You need to be tired when you go to bed, so avoid napping during the day. If you find your eyelids drooping before bedtime, try to stimulate your body (by moving about) or your mind, with a crossword or soduku for example.

This evening: Don’t eat too late

A big meal after mid-evening can stop you from sleeping, or prevent you having a restful night. Eat earlier in the evening and don’t snack on biscuits or sugary treats later on – as these can keep you awake too.  For those fasting during Ramadan, a lighter meal after Iftar is less likely to disrupt your sleep patterns.

This evening: Put your devices away

Stop using your devices at least two hours before you go to sleep to reduce their impact on your sleeping. This includes laptops, tablets and yes, your phone. The backlit 'blue light' displays suppress melatonin production – which makes it harder for your brain to know it’s time to sleep.

Definitely do not charge your devices in your room, as the temptation to check them might be too hard to resist. If you rely on the alarm on your phone to wake you up, make sure you put it on ‘aeroplane mode’ to avoid message alerts pinging, use your phone’s ‘night light mode’ and turn down the brightness.

Tonight: Make a to do list

If you tend to lie in bed thinking about everything you need to do tomorrow, set aside time before bedtime to make plans for the next day. Write them down. The aim is to avoid having these things endlessly going round and round in your head while you’re trying to sleep.

Tomorrow morning: Don’t snooze

It’s tempting to hit the snooze button to get a few extra minutes in bed, but this undermines the quality of your sleep. Set one alarm and stick to it. If you’re waking up exhausted and you can’t sleep in any later, try an earlier bedtime. If you put the alarm on snooze automatically, before you’re even fully awake, try putting your alarm across your bedroom so you have to get out of bed to turn it off.

Ongoing: Relax your mind and body

Try to relax in any way that works for you; have a warm bath, listen to relaxing music or perhaps a mindfulness app. It can take some time to find out what works for you but commit to find a way to relax as it will help you sleep so much better.

Exercise can also help but gently does it.

Ongoing: Exercise regularly

According to the NHS, moderate exercise on a regular basis such as swimming or walking, can help to relieve anxiety and tension that may have built up during your day. However, make sure you’re not doing vigorous exercise, such as running or the gym, too close to bedtime because that will have the opposite effect and keep you awake.

Ongoing: Stop smoking

Nicotine is a stimulant. According to the NHS, smokers take longer to fall asleep, wake up more frequently, and often have more disrupted sleep. If you needed another reason to quit smoking, here it is.

During Ramadan

During Ramadan, those who are fasting may experience differing sleep patterns. Try to sleep for at least 4 hours at night after Iftar, before waking for Suhoor and Fajr – and return to sleep for a couple of hours before getting up for the day ahead to limit the disruption.