Seven steps to better sleep in 2022
With one in three of us suffering with poor sleep, it’s no surprise than many of us will want to focus on how we can improve our sleep this January.
It’s inevitable to feel the pressure to improve your sleep, and I know that sometimes it can feel like it won’t change, but don’t panic as there are simple changes you can make to help yourself sleep well, and live better.
Step one - don’t go to bed too early
While it might seem like going to bed early is the perfect solution to get more sleep, this is far from the case! Illogical as it may seem, spending less time in bed is vital for improving our sleep. We simply shouldn’t be going to bed until we feel properly tired, as the longer we spend in bed the more likely we are to create the wrong associations.
If we spend too long in bed awake, we’re more likely to relate our bed to being aware, which can lead to sleeplessness. So, if you’re trying to improve your sleep, stop lounging in bed and watching TV in bed, keep bed for when you’re ready to sleep only!
Step two - set an alarm!
During Christmas many of us stopped setting alarm clocks, meaning we got up later, lost our routine and began to lose the structure that keeps us sleeping well. This can have an impact on our sleep drive and will happen again if we begin to wake later.
Even if you’ve slept badly, you should still get up nice and early. This will help you to build an ‘appetite’ for sleep, helping you get a better night’s sleep the next night.
Step three - forget the eight-hour myth
The belief that everyone must get eight hours of sleep is a myth. Everyone has different sleep needs, so worrying about how much sleep you need will only cause anxiety and pressure to sleep, which makes sleep even harder to get. The important thing here is to focus on quality not quantity.
Step four - get outside and exercise
Not only is exercise outdoors a great way to start the new year, it’s actually great for your mental AND physical health, and anything you can do to reduce anxiety is great for your sleep!
Step five - ditch the long afternoon naps
If napping has snuck its way back into your routine over Christmas, it’s time to cut it out! Taking a long afternoon nap after a poor night’s sleep, whilst seeming like a good idea, will actually impact on your ability to sleep well the following night. If you are really desperate for some sleep, then make sure your nap is only short, limiting it to 25 minutes or less. Research suggests that naps as brief as 10 minutes can enhance mood and alertness so keep it short!
Step six - make time for mindfulness
Practicing relaxation techniques and mindfulness during the daytime will help you learn to regularly rest your mind. Using any free time to relax and practice mindfulness will help you to feel more refreshed, even if you are struggling to sleep well.
Step seven - wave goodbye to worrying
It is exhausting to worry about poor sleep, so if you’re feeling tired it’s important to note that it is not just lack of sleep which makes us tired and affects our daytime functioning, but also our negative thoughts about lack of sleep and stress in general.
I advise you to spend time writing down your negative thoughts, challenging them, then letting them go. Worrying about sleep won’t improve it but it will make you feel worse. If you wake up and begin your day with a negative sleep thought such as ‘the day is going to be miserable because I did not sleep well’, it is the combination of sleep loss and negative mood from this thought that then negatively impacts your daytime functioning.
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