Good sleep guide

Nearly one third of the UK population report that they have problems sleeping. Typically, insomnia
(difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep) involves a ‘vicious cycle’ of:

 racing thoughts
 poor sleep
 worrying about poor sleep
 unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviour.

Catching up on sleep during the day may then make it difficult to fall asleep at bedtime. Insomnia and
poor sleep can affect mood and concentration levels. It is often linked to physical problems, and
periods of stress and worry.

Developing a good routine throughout the day is recommended as the first and best way to tackle
poor sleep. You could try the following:

 Avoid caffeinated drinks after midday.

 Keep lighting low and avoid blue screen light in the evening to allow your sleep-inducing
melatonin levels to increase.
 Have a relaxing bath, perhaps with eight drops of lavender oil.
 Keep TVs, tablets and phones out of the bedroom.
 Practise a breathing routine. For example, breathe in for a count of four, hold your breath for a
count of four, breathe out your stress for a count of eight. Repeat as necessary.

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