Optimizing your sleep

By Dr Neil Stanley

© Sleepstation

Document ID: SOP-21 Produced 08/03/21 Due for review 07/03/22

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any
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Achieving great sleep
While some people with serious sleep problems require support from
their doctor, many people can help themselves to achieve better sleep.
9:41

In this guide you'll find information and practical advice that you can sleepstatio
n.org.uk
incorporate into your life to improve your sleep. If you're aware of this
advice and have tried all of this before and it's not worked - don't worry. Menu

Our sleep support program may be a better option for you.

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Three is the magic number
To enjoy better sleep, focus on what works for you. There are
no sure-fire ways to get to sleep and no golden rules but there
are three general principles.

To sleep well, you need:

a quiet mind
a relaxed body
a bedroom that is conducive to sleep.

In order to optimize your sleep, you must have these

foundations in place.

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Anything that helps you achieve a
quiet mind and a relaxed body will
help you sleep
You, as an individual, need to find your own way to relax into sleep - whatever that
may be.

In the lead up to sleep, it's important to do something that you enjoy and also find
relaxing. It must be relaxing for you.

It's been said that ‘one man's relaxation is another man's torture’ – in other words,
what helps one person to fall asleep may actually keep another person awake.

All most people need is confidence that what they're doing actually works for them.

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Consider the following:
Q. Does camomile tea help you sleep?
A. If you like the taste of it and feel more relaxed for having drunk it, YES

Q. Does yoga help you sleep?

A. If it is relaxing for you, YES

Q. Does thinking of different animals starting with each letter of the

alphabet help you sleep?
A. If you find this relaxing, YES

You should by now see a pattern.

Q. Does ???? help you sleep?

A. If YOU find it relaxing and it quietens your mind, then the answer is YES

Some general guidelines can point you towards what may work best for you. The first
step is to look at your life - and your lifestyle - to see if there are things that may be
causing your poor sleep. For example, think about your diet, exercise patterns, sleeping
environment, personal habits, lifestyle and the stress and worries of daily living. Keep in
mind that good sleep doesn't just happen. To go to sleep, you need to quieten your
mind and relax your body - make this your focus to begin with.

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An active day leads to a restful night
We live on a planet that rotates around the sun and every bit of our biology is
designed around this day-night cycle or ‘circadian rhythm’.

Our bodies have a number of in-built clocks that control everything from reaction
speed and body temperature to the timing of sleep.

One of the most important circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle. Humans are
designed for daytime activity and night-time sleep.

The simplest way to increase your chances of getting a good night’s sleep is to be
awake and active during the day. Daytime exercise, both physical and mental,
promotes good sleep.

It’s also essential to get adequate exposure to natural light during the day as
we’re designed to be awake when it’s light and asleep when it’s dark and
light is the primary signal to the brain that it's time to be awake.

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Going to bed
One of the most important things you can do is to establish a regular, relaxing, bedtime
routine. This will signal to the body that it is time for sleep and will allow you to put the stresses
and worries of the day behind you.

You should spend at least 30 minutes winding down before bed. This means turning off the TV/
computer and doing those things that help you quieten your mind and relax your body. It can be a
good idea to create a familiar routine that can act as a signal to your mind that sleep is
approaching. It’s best to avoid heated discussions or stress triggers, for example doing work or
opening bills, in the lead up to bedtime.

Go to bed when you're sleepy and not when the TV program you're
watching finishes. Most people's preparation for sleep seems to involve
nothing more than turning the TV off, having a pee, brushing their teeth and
then getting into bed and expecting to fall asleep.

You mustn't try to fall asleep - no one can fall asleep on demand. Sleep is
intended to work as a background process, something that will come naturally
if we let it. The harder you try to force yourself to fall asleep, the more
difficult it will become.

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The bedroom
The bedroom should be a sanctuary reserved for sleep and the sleep
environment needs to be pleasant and relaxing (get rid of the TV and computers).

It should be dark and as quiet as possible. If it's difficult for you to make your
bedroom quiet, then consider using comfortable earplugs.

The bed should be comfortable and as big as you can fit into your bedroom. A
standard double shared by two adults gives each adult less space than they would
have in a single bed.

The bedroom should not be stuffy, as fresh air is good for sleep, and it should
be neither too hot nor too cold.

Many experts say that the ideal temperature for the bedroom is 16-18°C
(60-65°F) although this is, again, a matter of personal preference.

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Under the covers
It's not just the room temperature that is important for getting a good night's sleep. The
temperature in your direct sleeping environment - i.e. under the duvet - is equally important.

During the night the body needs to lose heat and this is done mainly through the head and
face - the only bits that usually stick out from under the duvet. A cool bedroom facilitates this
heat loss.

However, if the room is too hot or you're too hot under the duvet, then it's more difficult for
the body to lose heat and this will cause disturbed sleep. The same is also true if you're too cold
as this means the body has to work hard to maintain its optimal temperature and again this can
disturb sleep.

Achieving an optimal temperature under the bed covers is essential.

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During the night
The bed should be reserved for sleep and intimacy only. Spending
long periods of time in bed awake can break the association
between bed and sleep.

If you’re tossing and turning for more than 30 minutes at the start of
the night (or 20 minutes during the night) then it may be helpful to
get out of bed. When we spend long periods of time in bed awake,
the brain can learn to associate the bed with wakefulness, so this
practice of getting up and out of bed when we can't sleep can help
to strengthen the association between bed and sleep.

The aim, when you’re up and out of bed, is to do something that will
help you feel sleepy. So it's best to avoid screens (especially scrolling
through social media, which can be alerting), caffeine, nicotine or
any form of work. Puzzles, reading or crafts are usually good options
but make sure that you choose something that you find relaxing and
enjoyable.

Only go back to bed when you feel sleepy again and repeat this
process as often as necessary to improve your sleep.

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In the morning
Because the body runs on clocks, it craves consistency. When we
get up at the same time each day (give or take 30 mins) our body will
know when to expect to wake up and this is actually very important.

If you tend to get up at the same time and have found yourself
waking up just before your alarm then you’ve seen this interesting
component of sleep science in action. The body actually starts
preparing to wake up about one hour before you wake, if you
allow yourself to wake up naturally (without an alarm). If we get up at
varying times, then the body doesn’t know when to expect to be
asleep and when to plan for wake, so it can't prepare properly.

When we wake up before the body is ready, we tend to feel groggy

and this grogginess (called sleep inertia) can persist long into the
morning.

You can improve your sleep and reduce daytime grogginess by

sticking to a fixed wake time, seven day per week - aim to get up at
the same time every morning.

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Think guidance, not law
Sleep is a very individual thing so listen to your own body.

The ‘rules’ may say one thing but don't follow them blindly, make sure to think
about how likely any changes that you implement might be likely to fit with
your life.

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol too

close to bedtime…
...but remember that although alcohol in itself can disturb sleep, sometimes the
relaxation gained from sipping a fine single malt in front of a roaring fire can
outweigh the possible side effects of the alcohol for some individuals.

…but if you've been regularly drinking coffee just before bed for many years, and
you've only now developed a sleep problem, then it is almost certain that the
coffee is not the cause of the problem.

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Associate your bed with sleep. It's not a good idea to use your bed to
watch TV, listen to the radio, or read...
...but if reading or listening to the radio/TV is part of your wind-down then use it as just that. For
many, reading in bed is an essential sleep inducer.

Don't smoke before going to bed. Nicotine is a stimulant and will keep
you awake...
…but remember that, for some people who are dependent on nicotine, nicotine withdrawal
overnight could also lead to disturbed sleep. If this applies to you, improved sleep could be the
additional motivation that you need to quit smoking for good.

It's wrong to use the 'rules' too prescriptively. Don’t view these rules as DOs and DON’Ts set in
stone. If you sleep well and don't feel sleepy during the day then you shouldn't have any need to
worry. When it comes to sleep it really is about what works for you.

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Remember - you can't
find sleep. You have to
let sleep find you.

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Important note
If you're very worried about your sleep, then it may make
sense to consult your doctor. Particularly if you have
medical issues that disturb your sleep or if your sleep
problems started following a change in medication.

If you think you could have insomnia, you might wish to

enrol on our online sleep support program. We'll help you
understand what's going wrong with your sleep and give
you the tools and guidance you need to fix it. Through your
online account, you'll have access to advice from industry-
leading sleep experts. Better still, you can tap into effective
digital tools designed to help you improve your sleep,
happiness and quality of life.

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