It heals us, it feels great and it costs nothing… Sleep really is the best medicine. Yet according to a recent survey from Carpetright, over a quarter (28%) of us aren’t satisfied with the quality of sleep we’re getting.
Perhaps this is because there’s a lot of conflicting advice out there. As a complex state that transcends the realms of both physical and mental health, sleep has become somewhat of a grey area in science.
According to a recent article featured on Supplement Critique, it was found that the average adult human needs between seven and nine hours of sleep per night to be fulfill their sleep needs. However, over one-third of Americans, admit to getting less than the recommended amount and the same goes for busy office‒goers in the UK.
Can you “catch up” on lost sleep?
Lisa Artis, spokesperson for The Sleep Council tells YCB: “A few days of lost sleep can have adverse effects, including increased daytime sleepiness and worsened daytime performance.” She continues by adding, “recovery sleep over a weekend may not reverse all the effects of lost sleep during the week.” So, stick to your regular bedtimes and your body will thank you!
Is napping bad for your sleep cycle?
Adam Atkinson, personal trainer at Diets Don’t Work highlights that “short naps of up to 20 minutes avoid dipping into deep REM sleep, while still being highly restorative and beneficial”. So it may be best to stick to power naps, as longer sleeps during the day can indeed lead to difficulty in falling asleep at night.
Does alcohol actually help you sleep?
Alison Gardiner, co-creator of Sleepstation recognises that, “you may feel the sedative effects of alcohol that help you fall asleep initially,” but warns us, “your sleep will be disturbed later on in the night.” Atkinson discusses a review of 27 studies, which show that drinking depletes REM sleep, the period in which the most repair and regeneration occur within the body – so that’s why those hangovers have been so bad!
Can eating cheese give you nightmares?
The good news is: there’s no solid evidence to suggest that cheese causes nightmares. However Gardiner warns that “eating heavy meals before bed can interrupt your sleep, so maybe don’t pull out the cheeseboard just before bedtime.” Artis, on the other hand, recommends it as a bedtime snack: “Calcium, found in cheese, is a natural sleep aid as it contains tryptophan, an amino acid the body uses to produce melatonin (the sleep inducing hormone).”
Is it okay to exercise before bed?
Artis and Gardiner praise exercise as: “highly beneficial, helping to banish stress before bedtime and lower your body’s temperature, which induces better sleep.” However, Atkinson warns that “endorphins and cortisol make us more alert and less likely to sleep,” so it’s best to stick to “slower, meditative forms of exercise close to bedtime,” with yoga being our top choice for its relaxation and sleep benefits.
Does sleeping less keep you slim?
Atkinson suggests than sleeping less can actually have quite the opposite effect. “It decreases the ability of insulin to move sugar from the blood stream increasing fat storage and making the onset of type two diabetes more likely.” Gardiner agrees, putting it down to “the hormones that regulate our hunger, ghrelin and leptin, which make us more likely to wake up craving high sugar foods.”
Can your bed affect quality of sleep?
Our experts agree that the foundation of a good night’s sleep is a comfortable, supportive bed. Atkinson goes as far as to say that “your old mattress could quite literally be killing you.” Artis explains why: “After seven years, even a good quality bed will have been subjected to a lot of wear and tear – over 20,000 hours of it – and won’t be performing at anything like its best anymore.” However, as Gardiner reminds us, “if you have a comfortable bed but still can’t sleep, there’s probably something more serious going on and you should consider seeking treatment”.
