Sleep Hygiene

1. Sleep Hygiene Shereen De Barr (soon to be Smith) DRC 3.2.10

2. How much do we need? • Popular idea is 7-8 hours • Studies show we need 4-10 hours • Varies in lifetime • Newborn – 16 hours • 5 yr old – 11 hours • Teens – 9 hours • 30’s - <8 hours • 70’s - <6 hours, and lighter sleep

3. Tell patients • Reminder that lack of sleep will not “hurt” you • You will fall asleep eventually • Lying calm and relaxed can be as refreshing as sleep • Don’t look at the time • Tell yourself you don’t care if you sleep or not • Think pleasant thoughts – holiday/lottery winner

4. Worries keeping you up • Get out of bed • Sit somewhere comfortable • Write down the problems on your mind • Take each problem and write solutions • Write steps to reach solutions • Write obstacles you fear may prevent steps • Say “ok, that’s it for now. I can’t do anything more about it this time of night. I won’t worry till morning. • UNWIND – 30mins reading/music • Back to bed

5. Good Habits • Don’t sleep in the day, max 25mins • Recognise you may not actually need more sleep • Surroundings • Food and Drink • Avoid Cigarettes • Avoid Alcohol • Consistency • Pre-sleep routine • Tiredness • Activity

6. Surroundings • Too noisy? Too quiet? • fan/white noise/earplugs/music • Too light? Too dark? • TURN OFF MOBILE/computer/lights • Mattress comfort • Only use bed for sleep and sex, don’t associate the bed with work • Too hot? • Experiment with windows open, low temp better, as body cools, goes to sleep

7. NO TV • Television actually stimulates the mind, rather than relaxing it • Late night TV often violent • Light and noise • Wean off if you are used to it, better in long run

8. Diet • Avoid eating a large meal within two hours of bed. • Make dinnertime earlier in the evening • avoid heavy, rich foods as bedtime snacks • A light snack before bed can help promote sleep • Glass of warm milk and half a sandwich • Whole-grain, low-sugar cereal • A banana and a cup of hot chamomile tea • Drinking lots of fluid may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night

9. Diet • Absolutely NO tea, coffee, hot chocolate or coca cola within 4 hours of bed – affects sleep 10-12 hrs after drinking • Absolutely No cigarettes within 4 hours of bed – but nicotine withdrawal can wake you up.. • Don’t drink alcohol

10. Exercise • Exercise in morning or early afternoon • Good for mental health • Causes increased tiredness

11. Consistency • Go to bed and wake up at same time each day • Make your bedtime when you feel tired • Don’t break this routine on weekends, lie-ins reset your body-clock • If you want to change your bedtime, small increments, 15 minutes earlier or later each day

12. Don’t go to bed too Early • Do something mildly stimulating to prevent yourself from falling asleep too early • If you push though that window, you’ll catch your second wind soon and be able to stay awake until your normal bedtime—and sleep through the night

13. Getting back to Sleep • Deep breathing • Progressive muscle relaxation • Visualizing a peaceful, restful place • Stay relaxed • Do a quiet activity – reading, writing, ironing • Concentrate on relaxing, not stressing

14. References • Patient.co.uk • Mentor on the web (EMIS)