A good night’s sleep is the holy grail for today’s generation of overworked and overstressed individuals. For teachers, a proper night’s rest is particularly vital, especially when the next morning involves managing a classroom of excitable and unruly children. But getting a full eight hours of slumber isn’t as elusive as you might imagine. Here are 10 simple, scientifically proven ways to beat insomnia.
Find your optimal bedtime
What’s the best time to go to bed? It varies considerably from person to person so there’s no simple answer. Matt Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, says sleepers tend to fall into two categories: larks, who are early risers and sleepers, and owls, those who sleep and wake late. The group you fall into depends on your circadian biological rhythm and the number of hours you’ve been awake, but the typical bedtime for an adult is 11pm. Walker adds that the most critical thing, however, is to get seven to nine hours each night.
Get into a routine – even at weekends
Once you find the right bedtime for you, stick to it – even at weekends. Many people go to bed earlier during the week and then shift forward at the weekend by going to bed and getting up later. But, as Walker explains, unless you wake up at a set time, you start to push and pull the circadian biological rhythm forwards and backwards. He says: “Come Sunday evening, you face the need to drag that rhythm back several hours, which is biologically stressful for brain and body. It’s social jetlag – the equivalent of flying back and forth from London to Moscow every week.”
Beware of cold feet
The temperature of your toes might not seem important to getting a good night’s sleep, but if your feet are too warm or too cold it can cause sleeplessness. Richard Wiseman, professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, advises those with bad circulation to wear a pair of warm socks to bed. He adds that most sleep scientists recommend a bedroom temperature of just over 18°C (65°F), and about 65% humidity.
Embrace the darkness
Science tells us that how light or dark a room is at bedtime matters. Studies show that light can delay the production of melatonin, a chemical in the body that anticipates the daily onset of darkness. Another study by scientists at the University of Granada also found that sleeping in pitch black is important for the metabolism. To help make your room sleep conducive, it’s worth investing in some blackout blinds or buying yourself an eye-mask. Another top tip is to dim the lights before you go to bed to signal to your body that darkness is setting in.
Lose the laptop
It’s tempting to watch something on your laptop to help you drift off, but the light of a computer screen can keep you awake longer and can even reduce your quality of sleep. In a study by Brigham and Women’s hospital in the US, led by neuroscientist Anne-Marie Chang, a group of people were asked to sleep in a private hospital room for two weeks and read before bed, some using a book and others an iPad. Those using the iPad reportedly felt less tired at night and took longer to get to sleep. They also felt less alert in the morning.
Use the 90-minute rule
We sleep in 90-minute cycles that start with being awake, followed by light sleep, deep sleep and finally rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is close to being awake (it’s when most dreaming takes place). In his book Night School, Wiseman writes: “By the time the first dream has finished, about 90 minutes will have elapsed. That sleep cycle is then repeated several times throughout the night.” To wake up after REM, rather than deep sleep (an especially refreshing stage in the sleep cycle), he advises tracking back in roughly 90-minute slots from when you want to wake and aim to get sleep by that time. If you’re struggling to work out when that is, there’s an app to help.
Avoid caffeine before bedtime
It seems obvious, but in case you had any reservations – yes, caffeine stops you from sleeping. A study carried out by researchers from the Henry Ford hospital and Wayne State College of Medicine in Detroit suggests that drinking a coffee may have an effect for up to six hours.
Exercise in the morning
Studies galore link an active lifestyle to better sleep, but when and how you exercise also matters. Wiseman says to maximise your chances of nodding off you need to do at least two and a half hours of moderate aerobic activity or at least an hour and a quarter of more vigorous exercise each week. “The studies also showed that working out around six hours before your bedtime was especially good, in part, because exercise can make you all hot and sweaty, and you need time to cool down before heading to bed,” Wiseman writes in Night School.
De-clutter your bedroom
You don’t need scientists to tell you that if you want to have a good night’s sleep you need to be in a restful environment. Lying down on a bed that’s half-made, on a painful mattress with mess all over the floor isn’t going to help you relax. A new study shows it can also affect your ability to sleep. The research by St Lawrence University in New York found that a messy room can worsen sleep quality and increase stress levels.
Try a bit of meditation
If you’re sceptical about meditation then maybe this will change your mind: a small study by scientists from the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles, has shown that meditation can help with sleep difficulties. The research indicates that focusing attention on the present moment, without judging the thoughts that come and go, not only helps with sleep but also with depression, in which poor sleep is often a factor.
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