‘I’m a sleep expert, these 4 tips will help you beat insomnia for good’

Today, January 3, marks Festival of Sleep Day, which aims to encourage people across the UK to spend some time embracing sleep and relaxation. But what if you’re one of the countless number of people who struggle with sleep?

Sleep is one of the most important things we can do to keep our bodies and minds healthy, but people all over the UK and across the world struggle with nodding off and staying asleep. According to the NHS, sleep is essential for physical and mental health, and trouble sleeping can have a seriously negative impact on both.

Today, January 3, marks Festival of Sleep Day, which aims to encourage people across the UK to spend some time embracing sleep and relaxation. But what if you’re one of the countless number of people who struggle with it?

Marriage and family therapist Emma McAdam laid out four useful tips to help beat insomnia and get better quality sleep. Opening her video, Emma said it is common for people having trouble sleeping to try and develop routines, also known as ‘sleep hygiene’. But, she said, for the best quality sleep, action needs to be taken earlier than this.

“While sleep hygiene can be helpful, it’s kind of like waiting until you retire to plan for retirement,” she said. “It’s kind of too late at bedtime to really create this optimal sleep situation.”

1. Get up at the same time every day – even weekends

Although common advice is to go to bed at the same time every night, Emma said this isn’t necessarily the best approach. “If you go to bed before you’re sleepy, you’re going to feel frustrated and anxious about not being able to fall asleep,” she said.

Continuing, she said: “What you actually end up doing is that your anxiety makes it harder to fall asleep and you train your brain that bedtime is a time to worry and get anxious and upset.” Citing sleep expert Martin Reed, she said key is to focus on your own ‘sleep drive’, the need for sleep which builds in your body the longer you are awake.

“When you sleep in late or take long naps during the day, that essentially drains your sleep drive and makes it much harder to fall asleep the next night,” she said. “Instead, a much better strategy than going to bed at the same time each night is to wake up each morning at the same time. And yes, this does include weekends.”

2. Use light to set your circadian rhythm

Emma explained your body produces specific hormones during the day depending on light levels. In the morning, when it is light, the body produces cortisol, or the ‘stress hormone’ which gives us energy. At night, when it is dark, it increases melatonin, which makes you feel tired.

Emma said: “The ideal solution is we all get a little sunlight in the mornings, but you can also use morning light therapy with a light box. Light therapy can help you feel more alert and energised in the morning, but this also advances your circadian rhythm so that you can release more melatonin earlier in the evening.”

She added it is also advisable to avoid light from screens on phones, tablets, TVs, or other gadgets around 90 minutes before you want to fall asleep.

3. Exercise is key

Emma said tiring out your body with a little exercise, which could include walking, carrying out physical chores, or dancing, is crucial to sleeping well. “Too little activity can lead to your body feeling like it’s not ready to rest,” she said.

“You can focus on sleep hygiene all you want, but if your body isn’t tired, you’re not going to sleep as well,” she said. However, she added, strenuous exercise right before bedtime is not advised.

4. Schedule a time of day to worry

Emma said it is common for your mind to fill with worries when you’re trying to fall asleep, saying this can feel like “an impossible trap to get out of”. Key to this problem, she said, is giving yourself time to process stress and worries during the day.

“Schedule a time each day to worry on purpose,” she said. “I recommend after midday but before 7pm. And you’re going to choose 15 to 30 minutes to sit down and write down your worries.” Emma added this should be done on paper or using a task management app, adding: “Never worry in your head.”