Sleep 101: Issues waking, falling asleep or never feeling refreshed?

For many it’s not even an issue, but on initial consults we ask “do you have a problem with sleep?” and it can render diverse, yet usually negative responses. “Crap” is a common answer met with a laugh and/or grumble. We can often boil down some basic check marks, and go deeper into it. 

If you have a problem waking up, typically the issue relates to: 

• Not enough exercise
• Needing to pee (medication, pregnancy, water or hormone issues)
• Feeling too hot or cold (can also be hormone related)
• A disruptive environment (e.g. kids/snoring partner)

If you have a problem getting to sleep, this can relate to:

• Not enough exercise
• Stress
• Poor sleep hygiene (read routine)

How do you fix sleep issues? 

It’s both easier and harder than you think. Let’s break down the above points: 

• Exercise (try to aim for a mix of strength 3/week and cardio 2-3/week) at least a weekly 150 minutes of puffing/light sweat exercise, or 75 minutes of dripping sweat if you want to save time

• Using the bathroom: Problems with peeing are one for the doctor, an easy possibility is that you might need to train your bladder. “Is this really the only issue?” is the other question to ask, because a lot of people suffer from this alongside others, or some have it but don’t have a problem with sleep.

• Feeling too hot or cold: if your hormones have been ruled out as a cause and your room is a cool 19 degrees then this should be an easy one, but if your partner likes it different (sauna level)  you may have to battle with different styles of doonas.

• Kids/snoring partner: this is a toughie, it might not be an issue with you and require further conversation and planning with the parties involved.

• Stress: oh boy, is this going to be it. There’s a good chance you’re worried about something – money, family, work, friends, sleep. The best part about your brain is you could be stressed, but not even aware of the magnitude until it’s affecting your sleep and making you grumpy.

Hang on, you said sleep hygiene? 

Yep, not clean sheets (though that does feel nice) but think of it like sleep routines. Your brain loves consistency and craves its predictability. So going to bed at midnight every night and waking at 8 is a great start. Earlier is better though, particularly in younger generations as we’ve found their growth and recovery hormones are pretty active from 9 or 10pm, so sleeping at 1am means you’ve missed all the good stuff! 

Usually you’ll get a wave of sleepiness every 90 minutes, and at its height you want to be in bed ready for those sweet dreams. Your body will try to regulate at the same time each night, but only if you can get your own consistency sorted. 

To practise good sleep hygiene I encourage a pattern. For example, sleeping at 11pm:

1.  Start to wrap up your device (TV/laptop/mobile) usage by 10pm. Spend the next 5-15 minutes in the bathroom brushing your teeth etc. Why not put on a podcast through this time, as music often gets you a bit too excited, and your ears won’t keep you as stimulated as your eyes watching a show will.
2. You might have another 15-30 minutes of prep for tomorrow, making sure you’ve planned out your food and you know what you need to do for work.
3. That last 15 minutes might be any other cleaning/neatening to make the place before you get into bed. You might even use this time to check in with your partner/family/pets about their day, tomorrow, or upcoming events.
4. Then your brain is primed and ready for bed at 11! 

When you get up in the morning the best way to ward off that gluggy feeling is to let natural light hit you, a splash of water on your face and some basic movements or stretches – have you noticed animals always stretch when they get up? At Infinity, we love to see our clients moving!

How to handle a late night?

If you’re out partying or having an intense board game session until 2am, make sure you get up at the usual waking time. Don’t think you can “catch up on sleep” by sleeping in until 10am otherwise you’re asking for trouble for the next 3-4 days trying to get that back. You’ll just have to cop the fact that getting to bed late will mean you’re tired the next day, but forcing yourself up in the morning will mean you get back on track quickly and avoid that Monday-itis.

Sleep trackers/smart watches

This is coming on strong lately with the massive increase in Fitbits and Apple Watches. Knowing more data doesn’t always mean better. It can even cause an increase in stress as it quantifies how poorly you are sleeping. A few numbers to be aware of 8hrs is the standard stereotypical best sleep, but the truth is 6-10 is a good range. Everyone should know their sweet spot and be targeting their sleep hygiene around this. Your tracker will probably split “deep” or “REM” sleep and light sleep/mildly disturbed depending on the software. This really isn’t reliable so don’t fret, and use it as a guide. One of the common questions we get is “I’m only getting 3-3.5 hours of deep sleep, no wonder I’m tired – how can I increase it?”. That’s extremely normal and actually a pretty decent amount of deep or REM sleep. 

What devices or equipment can help me sleep?

I really can’t say anything generally here, but some people like their aeroplane sleep masks for darkness. If you’re sensitive to sound, you might like earplugs or those Bose SleepBuds which may help to counteract external noise. CPAP machines might even get a call up in this category, but you should read our other professionals section below first for that!

It’s important we mention pillows and mattresses here because you need to be comfortable! I’m a fan of Dentons and Dunlopillo pillows, and I really dislike the cheap ones you get for $30-40, but don’t spend a fortune. They need to be something that is comfortable to each individual and therefore there is no “best pillow” for all. I find quite a large percentage of people like the “High Classic” from Dentons, but don’t be fooled by the name, it’s just a standard size. Memory foam can tend to be soft on the surface but can be quite firm when compressed. Mattresses are similarly up to the individual, so I’d suggest trying a few, knowing that too hard or too soft isn’t ideal, so you’ll have to find that sweet, sweet goldilocks in the middle. I’ve found a few people often like Sleeping Duck mattresses and only heard good things, but haven’t tried them myself.

Do supplements or medications help with sleep?

You’ll often hear about sleeping tablets, things that are designed to make you drowsy. They may be as heavy as Stilnox or come in the form of muscle relaxants and will usually be prescribed by your GP. A naturopath might suggest melatonin or even calming lavender or sleep type teas. These may both be helpful, and may be used as part of a plan, but you may think of them as a temporary band aid to fix the other issues that we mentioned above. They very rarely “fix” the issue, and unfortunately may lead to people taking them for longer than necessary, which may actually make the problem a whole lot worse.

What other professionals will help?

If you have a serious sleep problem there’s a very good chance you’ve already spoken to someone about it and your GP is a great place to start. They may have referred you to a sleep specialist, mentioning phrases like ‘sleep study’, ‘sleep apnoea’. If you’re in this category then you’re unlikely to find a solution with this article! 

If you’ve tried everything above and you’re still looking for help, here are 3 classic techniques to use when you’re lying in bed, legitimately trying to imagine yourself counting sheep and getting annoyed at the time constantly ticking over.

• Imagery

Try to imagine a serene setting and all the feelings that go with it. For example, you can imagine a waterfall, the sounds of echoing, rushing water, and the scent of damp moss. The key is to let this image take up space in your brain to prevent yourself from thoughts, worries, and concerns pre-sleep.

• Breathing for sleep

Let your lips part slightly and make a whooshing sound as you exhale through your mouth.

Then close your lips and inhale silently through your nose. Count to 4 in your head.

Then hold your breath for 7 seconds.

After, exhale (with a whoosh sound) for 8 seconds.

Avoid being too alert at the end of each cycle. Try to practice it mindlessly.

Complete this cycle for four full breaths.

• The military method

Relax your entire face, including the muscles inside your mouth.

Drop your shoulders to release the tension and let your hands drop to the side of your body.

Exhale, relaxing your chest.

Relax your legs, thighs, and calves.

Clear your mind for 10 seconds by imagining a relaxing scene.

If this doesn’t work, try saying the words “don’t think” over and over for 10 seconds

The basics, described in Relax and Win and summarized on Medium, are to relax your body, part by part, and then attempt to totally clear your mind for ten seconds. Here’s a script:

– Relax the muscles in your face, including your tongue, jaw, and the muscles around your eyes.

– Drop your shoulders as low as they’ll go. Then relax your upper and lower arm on one side, and then the other.

– Breathe out, and relax your chest.

– Finally, relax your legs, first thighs and then calves.

Take about a minute to go through the list, relaxing your body, and try to clear your mind. As Art of Manliness reports, Bud Winter (who designed the program) suggests you pick one of these mental images:

– Lying in a canoe on a calm lake, nothing but blue sky above you.

– Snuggled in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room

– Saying “don’t think, don’t think, don’t think” over and over for ten seconds.

Good night!

Image: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm

Find the perfect mattress for a good night’s sleep: https://infinityhealthandosteo.com.au/healthclippings/comparing-mattresses/