DO you struggle to get a good night’s sleep? Research shows that around one in ten people suffer from chronic insomnia, and one in eight of us survive on just five hours of shut-eye a night. And that was before the pandemic – since Covid struck, sleep problems have been reported in around 45 per […]
DO you struggle to get a good night’s sleep?
Research shows that around one in ten people suffer from chronic insomnia, and one in eight of us survive on just five hours of shut-eye a night.
And that was before the pandemic – since Covid struck, sleep problems have been reported in around 45 per cent of the populations of several countries.
Writer Lynsey Hope, who is mum to Jacob, seven, Olive, four, and Ivy, 21 months, is one of the unlucky ones.
She says: “I used to be a champion sleeper, but now I really struggle to stay asleep and I wake up early.
“I rarely get more than three or four solid hours. I think years of getting up to settle my kids in the night has programmed my body to keep waking up, even if they sleep through.
“I often wake up with headaches.”
We know about the things we are supposed to avoid if we want a restful night – gadgets in the bedroom, caffeine and eating late in the evening.
But what could we do to improve our sleep?
Here, Lynsey tries out the sleep hacks that are said to help you drift off instantly, and rates them out of ten.
The science: Doing a headstand before bed is thought to help circulate fresh blood to the brain, specifically the master glands – the pituitary and hypothalamus – helping you to nod off quicker.
It’s also meant to detoxify the adrenal glands which can trigger insomnia.
Lynsey says: “I’m quite fit and active but I found getting into a headstand tricky and it’s unlikely many people can do this.
“I had to balance myself against a door and still found it hard to get my legs up without help. It was stressful and if anything, wound me up more than usual before bed.
“Nothing about this helped me get to sleep. I hurt my neck, so unless you’re a yoga pro who can get into this position easily, I’d give it a miss.”
Rating: 1/10
The science: Foods containing unsaturated fats such as peanut butter can boost serotonin levels and keep you feeling full during the night.
Eating bananas with peanut butter can also be slumber-inducing, as bananas contain magnesium which can support good sleep.
Lynsey says: “I’m sometimes starving in the morning and always eat breakfast early.
“The science behind this made me wonder if hunger is one of the reasons I am waking up in the night.
“When I woke up for the first time between midnight and 1am, I ate some banana slices spread with peanut butter. It wasn’t fun having to go to the kitchen to make it and I was so wide awake getting back in bed it took me ages to get back to sleep. Surprisingly, I did sleep in longer the next morning though.”
Rating: 5/10
The science: Having an ice-cold bath can raise melatonin, a naturally-occurring hormone that prompts your body to feel sleepy.
Experts say the optimum time to take one is 20 minutes before getting under the duvet.
Lynsey says: “I liked the idea of a bath before bed, but not a cold one. I threw a bag of ice into the water and stepped in, gasping for breath as the cold cubes washed over me.
“Initially I thought the shock would ping me awake but once I got out, I did feel quite relaxed, and it was a relief to slip under the warm duvet covers.
“Getting the bath ready so late at night was a bit of a faff after a long day. An ice-cold shower would be quicker, and I’m sure it would work just as well.”
Rating: 7/10
The science: A technique developed by the US armed forces during World War Two which is supposed to help you fall asleep in just two minutes.
It involves relaxing the muscles in your face, including tongue, jaw and muscles around the eyes. Drop your shoulders as far down as they will go, followed by your upper and lower arm, one side at a time. Breathe out, relaxing your chest, then your legs, starting from the thighs and working down.
Then spend ten seconds trying to clear your mind before thinking of one of these three images:
You’re lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you. Or, you’re lying in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room.
Or third, you say, ‘Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think’ to yourself over and over for about ten seconds.
Lynsey says: “I tried this over a few nights and by the fifth night, I started to get the hang of it.
“I felt a bit silly sitting breathing on the edge of the bed and my mind soon wandered off to the work I hadn’t finished and the pile of washing I needed to sort in the morning. But the repetition of saying, ‘Don’t think’ over and over did make me feel tired. I was probably asleep in around 30 minutes, not the two minutes it claims will happen – but that’s far better than the one to two hours I usually spend tossing and turning.
“This is said to work for 96 per cent of people after six weeks of practice, so I’ll keep trying.”
Rating: 6/10
The science: Dr Rachel Marie Salas, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US, recommends this technique for helping you drift off, as it has the same calming effect as slow, deep breathing. It is one most of us can achieve without any practice.
Lynsey says: “It seemed a bit silly, blowing bubbles around the bedroom before getting under the duvet, but I was willing to try anything to help me get a good night’s kip.
“It did calm my breathing but I really had to take my time over it to try and relax.
“I’m planning to try this on my daughter Olive, who also struggles to drift off.”
Rating: 4/10
The science: Having warm feet opens up the blood vessels and cools the body, which signals to the brain that it’s time for bed.
A study at Rutgers University in the US found that those who wear socks in bed tend to fall asleep faster, sleep for longer and wake up fewer times through the night.
Lynsey says: “I suffer with cold feet and sometimes I lie awake and fidget because they are so cold and I can’t get comfortable.
“Wearing socks made a huge difference. I felt more comfortable and relaxed with warm feet and I did drift off quicker. Although I had to take them off in the early hours because my feet got too hot, I fell back to sleep.
“Wearing socks to bed might not be the sexiest look.
“But it’s much better than having bags under my eyes.”
Rating: 10/10
“WHETHER it’s doing a headstand, having an ice bath or sipping a cup of camomile tea, there’s no quick fix with sleep.
“However, trying these methods stopped my mind from racing and mulling over worries at bedtime.
“Wearing socks to bed was the biggest win for me out of everything I tried. It’s such a simple thing to do but made a real difference to my quality of sleep.
“I definitely think breathing techniques can help you to relax too, though I’m not 100 per cent sold on the military method.”
Do you have a story for The Sun news desk?
Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours
Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.
