Top 10 tips for good sleep health
- Get up at the same time every day – Wake up at the same time every day even when you have had a poor night’s sleep. This helps your body find a natural rhythm that will help you go to sleep at night.
- Exercise – Research shows that exercise improves sleep and helps sleep disorders such as insomnia. Exercising too close to bedtime though can sometimes inhibit sleep. Exercise when it’s good for you.
- Spend time outside – Increasing the amount of time you spend outdoors can improve sleep quality, try and get out for a walk at some point in the day.
- Look at your diet – Caffeine, alcohol, sugar, rich food or a heavy meal too near bedtime will affect your sleep. Try to cut down in the evenings or switch to decaf.
- Have a wind down routine – Have an evening routine involving reading, having a bath, preparing for the next day. Try calming your mind by focusing on your breathing, or try a mindfulness or meditation app.
- Reduce screen time – The blue light from your phone or laptop suppresses melatonin which affects your sleep. Turn screens off an hour before bedtime and keep electronics out of the bedroom; buy an alarm clock rather than charging your phone by your bed.
- Create a sleep sanctuary – Your bedroom should be cool, dark, and free from clutter, and your bed should be comfortable and suppor tive.
- Waling up in the night – When you wake up at night, don’t allow your mind to start thinking. If you can’t get back to sleep get up, go to the loo, do something until you feel sleepy again – but keep the lights low. Reading can help as can writing down your thoughts on a notepad for the next day.
- Try not to worry – Whilst having a routine is important for good sleep, try not to worry if life gets in the way and your sleep is affected. It’s possible to survive a period of poor sleep with no ill effects. Give yourself permission to go to sleep later instead of forcing sleep to come, quality is more important than quantity.
- Seek support – If you are having prolonged periods of interrupted or little sleep lasting more than a few weeks seek evidence based support from a health professional.
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How I coped with sleep problems
Julie’s story of being exhausted from years of poor sleep despite liking her job and having a stable life. She turned to LawCare for help, saw her GP, realised her symptoms were signs of depression, and eventually resolved her insomnia and its related struggles.
How I sorted out my sleep
“I would wake up four or five times a night, brain racing with thoughts and often would manage only 2 or 3 hours sleep. I was exhausted.”
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