Many of us understand the importance of a good night’s sleep. However, good sleep is crucial for our wellbeing. No doubt you have experienced a poor night’s sleep before and struggled through the following day. This highlights how we all need good sleep. But just how important is it to sleep well? And how can you improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep?
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation
Whilst you may not be staying up late intentionally these days, you may be struggling to get enough rest at night. A continued lack of sleep can result in health complications, which makes it all the more important to get a good night’s sleep. What follow are some of the effects of short-term sleep deprivation.
Fatigue
Perhaps the most obvious effect of sleep deprivation is tiredness. The less you are sleeping, the more tired you are likely to feel. It’s a feeling many of us have experienced. You may have blurry eyes, find yourself regularly dropping off for a few seconds, or yawn excessively. Feeling tired will also likely leave you feeling unmotivated.
Cognitive Impairment
Failing to get a good night’s sleep is likely to result in less efficient thought processes. This, naturally, is an expansion of the fatigue outlined above. Cognitive impairment is likely to present as:
- Thinking slowly
- Poor memory
- Short attention span
- Lack of motivation
- Poor decision-making
People who are experiencing sleep deprivation are also more likely to experience mood swings. It can be easier to become stressed, or you may feel anxious or irritable.
Long-Term Sleep Deprivation
For people who are consistently failing to get a good night’s sleep, sleep deprivation can cause long-term effects. These could prove more serious, and lead to other health conditions.
Cardiovascular Disease
People who do not sleep well could be at increased risk of developing cardiovascular problems. Whilst the stress connected to fatigue plays a part, a lack of sleep also interferes with the body’s natural rhythms. One of these natural processes is a lowering of blood pressure whilst you sleep. A lack of good sleep could cause your blood pressure to stay higher for longer; high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes
Good sleep is directly connected to our body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Similar to blood pressure, poor sleep prevents this process from occurring correctly. As a result, prolonged sleep deprivation could increase the likelihood of developing diabetes – or worsening a pre-existing diagnosis.
Poor Immune System
Sleep deprivation contributes to a weakening of the immune system. This, naturally, increases your risk of infections or other illnesses.
Obesity
People who fail to get good sleep are likely to experience increased hunger whilst awake. This is partially related to low energy levels. Increased calorie intake because of fatigue can lead to weight gain. However, sleep deprivation also affects hormone levels. Specifically, it increases levels of cortisol, and this can further contribute to obesity.
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Now that we recognise the potential impacts of sleep deprivation on our welfare, it’s time to identify how we can ensure we sleep well. If you are currently experiencing problems sleeping, it may be time to try something new. Where possible, it is always best to find ways to fall asleep naturally rather than using medication – however, we recognise that this is not always possible.
If you are struggling with sleep long-term, we recommend speaking to your GP.
Here are our tips for getting a good night’s sleep.
1. Adopt a Strict Sleep Schedule
Often, people do not fall asleep at the same time every day. You might stay up late to watch a TV show, or head to bed early because you don’t know what else to do with your night. However, regularly changing your sleep times could have a negative impact on your sleep.
It is recommended that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night. If you get up at the same time every day – something you should be doing – then you should aim to go to sleep 9 hours before. You may find yourself waking up earlier than expected. This could be a sign that you do not need the full nine hours, so you can start to gradually move your bedtime later in the evening.
According to the Sleep Foundation, the best sleeping hours for older adults are between 7pm and 3am. This may seem like a very early time to wake up, but this may result in you feeling more energised throughout the day.
Whatever sleep schedule you establish for yourself, you will need to stick to it as strictly as possible. Your body will naturally start to relax as it approaches your regular bedtime, and you will notice yourself finding it easier to wake up in the mornings.
2. Be Active
One possible cause of poor sleep is an excess of energy. Even if you feel tired mentally, your body may contain more energy than you realise. According to the NHS, older adults should be doing at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week.
As well as keeping muscles strong and the body healthy, regular exercise can contribute to a good night’s sleep. Moderate exercise includes:
However, if you have health conditions that impact your mobility, even regular light activity could improve your sleep. This includes moving around the house to get a drink. If you spend much of your day sitting or lying down, something as simple as getting up for a few minutes could aid you in getting a good night’s sleep.
3. Limit Naps
Similar to how not sticking to a sleeping schedule can interfere with good sleep, even taking short naps during the day could destabilise your internal clock. This could contribute to sleeping difficulties, which in turn may result in sleep deprivation.
Sometimes, the desire to nap may be a result of under stimulation. If this is the case, try to find activities to fill your time. Light or moderate exercise could help to stimulate your body, helping to avoid naps.
We are not saying you should avoid naps entirely, however. The occasional nap can be good for the body, especially if you are feeling too tired to concentrate on a task. In many Mediterranean countries, for example, a siesta is observed around lunchtime and tends to improve afternoon productivity.
If you do need to nap, you should keep it short. Try not to sleep for more than twenty minutes, as this may lead to poor sleep at night. You are also advised not to nap after 3pm, as this is when even a short sleep is most likely to interfere with a good night’s sleep. Over time, if you sleep well at night, you may find yourself feeling drawn to naps less often during the day.
4. Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine
Alcohol and caffeine can both interfere with sleep. Therefore, if you want to experience a good night’s sleep, you should avoid both, especially before bed.
Caffeine is, obviously, a stimulant. Its purpose is to help people stay awake or improve concentration. It can be found in tea, coffee, and energy drinks, all of which people generally drink to give themselves more energy. As a result, consuming any of these before bed is likely to interfere with sleep. Caffeine remains in your body for several hours, though its levels tend to peak after an hour. Therefore, you should make sure to have your last caffeinated drink several hours before going to bed.
Alcohol, meanwhile, could make it easier to fall asleep initially. However, when you drink you increase your likelihood of experiencing sleep interruptions. Interrupted sleep reduces your chances of feeling well-rested, which could contribute to sleep deprivation. Moreover, prolonged consumption of alcohol can further interfere with sleep cycles. People who drink regularly can struggle to fall asleep, as well as experiencing interrupted sleep.
Read our guide to cutting down and quitting alcohol
5. Take Time to Relax
In the modern world of screens and busy lifestyles, many of us don’t take time to wind down before bed. Being in a stimulated state could be an obstacle to getting good sleep. You are likely to struggle to fall asleep and may experience stress that further impacts your sleep.
To improve your chances of falling sleep, start engaging in a relaxing routine roughly an hour before your bedtime. Turn off devices that use screens – especially blue light devices. If you have a phone, don’t spend your hour before bed scrolling online. Instead, consider picking up a book, listening to calming music, or taking a relaxing bath. You could also attempt meditation to help clear your mind.
This period of relaxation could be spent in bed, as you let sleep gradually sweep over you.
Like sticking to a sleep schedule, you should begin your relaxation routine around the same time every day. Take the pressure off yourself and just let bedtime approach and settle down when you feel ready to sleep. This may prove to be exactly what you need to achieve a good night’s sleep.
6. Consult Your GP
As aforementioned, if you are struggling with sleep, and changes to your lifestyle and sleeping habits do not make a difference, you should speak to your GP. They may be able to recommend medications that help, such as melatonin supplements. Furthermore, they could refer you to a specialist who can help identify whether you are experiencing a specific sleep disorder.
Your doctor’s advice could be the key to getting a good night’s sleep. It may also help reduce some of the stress, as they will be able to talk you through why you may be struggling to sleep.
Personal Alarms from LifeConnect24
It’s important to look out for your welfare. As well as getting a good night’s sleep, you want to make sure help is available if you have a fall or feel unwell. Personal alarms from LifeConnect24 provide reassurance and support at the press of a button.
Our default personal alarm plan offers coverage throughout the home. If you need help, pressing your button sends an alert to our professional Response Team. They will arrange help for you by informing your emergency contacts. If necessary, they will also contact the emergency services.
For extra peace of mind, you can also opt for our fall detector plan. This device activates automatically if it detects a sudden fall, sending an alert to our Response Team.
To find out more about the LifeConnect24 alarm service, read our detailed guide. For further information, call our team today on 0800 999 0400. Finally, don’t forget that you can order your LifeConnect24 alarm online today.
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