Something keeping you up at night? Here’s how to deal with nine common sleep saboteurs…
One sleepless night can trigger up to a 30 per cent rise in emotional stress levels and regular poor sleep can put you at increased risk of serious medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Getting a decent night’s rest is vital for good health, but there are many reasons so many of us struggle to achieve this most basic human need.
Physical factors might be at play
In a recent report by Chemist4U, 28 per cent of respondents said stress and anxiety kept them awake at night, while 11 million Brits are kept up with financial worries. “Many of us experience feelings of pressure, tension and nervousness and these feelings can be more prominent at bedtime,” explains Martina Della Vedova, nutritionist at Nature’s Plus (naturesplus.co.uk).
“If we don’t get enough sleep, we can find it harder to adapt to challenging situations and, when we can’t cope as efficiently with stress, it can be harder to have a good night’s sleep.”
Physical factors might be at play, too – with back pain and headaches commonly cited as reasons we can’t settle. Kiera Pritchard, sleep expert from Eachnight Mattresses (eachnight.com), says “If you have existing back pain, you might be getting less sleep because you are being woken by the pain. The lack of sleep can also contribute to back pain because your body does not have enough time to restore its tissues.”
Whatever is stopping you sleeping well, here’s how to overcome it…
Bad bedding
What we sleep on can contribute to our aches and pains, and registered chiropractor Christian Caswell of topchiropractic.co.uk) suggests we check our pillows. “A good rule of thumb is to buy a pillow that is low and firm,” he says. “Your head should be at the same height as the rest of your body.”
