Sleep - Do You Make It A Priority?

Many people say life is made up of 3 components: Work/study, Socialising and Sleep - but it is impossible to fit all 3 in to a busy schedule. You may work shifts, long or unsociable hours, have looming exams but of course, these things have to be a priority. Then you might be like me and have lots of people you want to see but not enough time to fit it in - so then what does that leave? Sleep being prioritised at the lowest of the pile.

When you look at it, it almost seems obvious that sleep is going to be lowest on that list, despite the fact that most of us need around 8 hours of good-quality sleep a night to function properly [1] – but some need more and some less. However, this week's blog post is to look deeper into why we need to prioritise sleep higher!

THE STATISTICS

• 1 in 3 of us suffers from poor sleep [2]

• The average person living in the UK sleeps for between 5.78 and 6.83 hours per night (a mean of 379.4 minutes), meaning many of us miss out on the recommended amount of sleep by at least 100.6 minutes. [3]

• This means that the average Brit is getting around 34.5 minutes less sleep a night than those in other countries; which adds up 210.2 hours a year (or an incredible 8.76 days!).

• In July 2018, it was reported that bedtime for the average adult based in the UK is between 10 and 11 pm. However, almost 20% of us consistently go to bed after midnight. [4]

• Only 16% of respondents in the National UK Sleep Survey believed they got enough sleep every night, while just 1 in 10 of them said they woke up feeling recuperated every morning.

THE CAUSE

Stress, computers and taking work home often blamed. Along with children, your partner disturbing you, health conditions, noise and too much caffeine.

THE BENEFITS

1. Boosts your immune system - a prolonged lack of sleep can disrupt your immune system, so you're less able to fend off viruses and illness.

2. Weight Loss - Studies have shown that people who sleep less than 7 hours a day tend to gain more weight because sleep-deprived people have reduced levels of leptin (the chemical that makes you feel full) and increased levels of ghrelin (the hunger-stimulating hormone). [5]

3. Boosts Mental Well-being - As you may have experienced, a single sleepless night can make you irritable and low in mood the following day, so it's not surprising that chronic sleep deprivation may lead to long-term mood disorders like anxiety and depression. [6]. When people with anxiety or depression were surveyed to calculate their sleeping habits, it turned out that most of them slept for less than 6 hours a night.

4. If you are under 25 years old, your brain is still developing! - Recent research has found that parts of the brain are still developing up to the age of 25. It has been discovered that adults think with the prefrontal cortex (the brain’s rational part, which responds to situations with good judgement and an awareness of long-term consequences) and teens process information with the amygdala (the brain's emotional part) [7].

5. Prevention of serious medical conditions - including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy. [8]

HOW TO GET MORE SLEEP

1. Start on a weekend: try to add on an extra hour or 2 of sleep a night. The way to do this is to go to bed when you're tired, and allow your body to wake you in the morning, rather than using an alarm clock.

2. Don't rely on caffeine or energy drinks as a short-term boost of energy, as although they can have boost concentration temporarily, it can disrupt your sleep patterns even further in the long term.

3. Sleep at regular times each night - this programmes the brain and internal body clock to get used to a set routine.

4. Winding down prior to going to sleep. Such as a warm bath, writing down any worries or thoughts to clear your mind of any distractions, relaxation exercises (such as yoga or stretches) or reading a book. My routine involves making a peppermint tea, burning a candle and writing down a 'thought for the day' in a little diary.

5. Make your bedroom sleep-friendly by keeping it a relaxing environment - dark, quiet, tidy and be kept at a temperature of between 18C and 24C, as well as reducing the amount of electronic gadgets, light and noise in your bedroom.

Lots of Love

Ruth xxx