With more unconventional methods like putting your pyjamas in the freezer, or having a nightcap being suggested, it’s no wonder people are confused about how to get a good night’s sleep.

We spoke to Silentnight sleep expert Hannah Shore, who has combed through hundreds of hacks – some useful, some destined to defy dreamy nights of slumber – to separate the good from the bonkers.

Pyjamas in the freezer

With more heatwaves forecast over summer (hurry up please!), now is a good time to put this bogus sleep hack to bed. Wearing pyjamas straight from the freezer can have the opposite of its desired effect.

The feeling of the cold material against your warm skin can put your body into shock and may therefore increase your body temperature, making it more difficult to sleep. Also, the pyjamas will retain moisture from the freezer, meaning you’re going to bed in soggy PJs. Yuck!

Music and TV in bed will definitely help me get to sleep

Lots of us fall asleep with sounds and images in the background, and while this can be a useful technique, it’s important to be mindful of exactly what you’re watching or hearing. Avoid any music that has a high tempo, or TV shows/movies that are too action-packed. The beat/pace of the content can have an impact on your heart rate and cause it to speed up. This stimulates your body and increases the time it takes for you to fall asleep. Ultimately, when it comes to sounds, it’s all about finding what works for you. But it probably shouldn’t be listening to Metallica, or watching Die Hard.

Having a bath before bed sends me off

Taking a bath before bed is one of the sleep hacks that has been around for decades. But watch the heat. While a bath before bed can help us unwind, opt for warm water rather than hot, as the latter can raise our core temperature. Or take a bath a few hours before bedtime. Our body temperature needs to drop 1-2 degrees to get access to the good quality sleep we need. 

Drinking herbal tea or having a nightcap is good for my sleep

Lots of teas have caffeine in them. Some green teas contain twice the levels of coffee, so look out for caffeine-free options. Tea can also be a diuretic, meaning you may be disturbed by needing the loo at night.

Non tea drinkers might go for a nightcap instead. While alcohol acts as a sedative, helping you fall into a deep sleep initially, as the night goes on it will stimulate your body. This results in fractured sleep. And it’s also a diuretic so you’ll have the same problem, getting up in the night.

I’ll get more sleep hitting the snooze button

The snooze button will keep you tucked up in bed for longer, sure. However, you’ll probably feel worse when you eventually pull the covers off. That’s because you can drift back off into a deep sleep, meaning you’ll feel groggy, disorientated, and sleepier when you finally summon the strength to rise.

If you can get into the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, then your body will learn to wake up from a lighter sleep in the morning – making the process much easier. If you’re still struggling, keep your alarm across the room, then you’ll have to get out of bed to turn it off. Just don’t get back into bed once you’ve switched it off!

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The post How to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep ‘hacks’ debunked appeared first on Silver Magazine.

…it’s 3.56am. Just me, and the red numbers on my alarm clock. I see some grey light poking under the blinds. Planes start circling overhead. The milkman delivers his cargo (who still gets milk delivered in this day and age?). And now, the kicker: the birds start the dawn chorus that signals the start of another interminable day. People the world over salute the sun and I fucking hate it.

Five Years Earlier…

16th July

7 HOURS, 22 MINUTES

Two heavy Sainsbury’s bags in hand, I navigate the front door. I’m still in gym gear from my Power Plate class. This is my ‘magic Friday’ routine, when I am not in the office. I’m surprised to see my husband standing in the living room.

My husband and I have been together for 13 years, married for nine, but busy careers and the competitive tiredness caused by two children born 20 months apart mean things have started to fracture. (I am 42, he is a couple of years younger.) I know things haven’t been great for a while, but I distracted myself with my job, friends, and family. He starts speaking. I only hear part of what he’s saying – such is my discombobulation – but the upshot is this; he wants to call time on our marriage.

I have heard people talking about Sliding Doors moments, about rugs being pulled from under them. Now I know what they mean. Nothing will ever be the same again.

I can’t recall exactly what happens next but I do have one mission and I won’t be swayed from it. Our boy is having his sixth birthday party the next day and I am making a football pitch cake. (The Sainsbury’s bags contain roll-out icing, green food colouring and some little goals. I had even sketched out the lines on a piece of paper. This was going to be a major achievement; I am no baker.) Somehow, I manage to sleepwalk through the making of the cake. At some point, I call my best friend and burst into tears, but mostly I am on autopilot.

19th July

0 HOURS, 0 MINUTES

I am upset, exhausted and worried about the future. On Sunday night, I visit P, a ‘school mum’ friend who is a therapist. We have been confidantes for some time. For ethical reasons, P won’t counsel me formally, though she recommends a colleague who might. For now, I stick that in my back pocket.

P says I need to act with ‘grace’ and ‘restraint’ towards my now-former partner.

The most important thing is for me to get some sleep, she says, so I can continue to take care of the rest of my life – especially as she knows my history of insomnia.

I wonder about sleeping tablets, which I used briefly and intermittently during my Insomnia Mini-Crash. They did occasionally grab me a few hours here and there. P can’t advise me, but I resolve to see my GP the next day and ask for some pills.

20th July

0 HOURS, 0 MINUTES

I am dazed with sleeplessness. On the way to work, I stop off at the walk-in service at my local GP practice. I tell the doctor I have had some bad personal news. He is harried, in a rush. Almost without looking up, he grabs his green prescription pad and writes me a two-week prescription for temazepam, an old-fashioned sleeping pill. He then ‘ups’ my trazodone, the anti-depressant I have been taking in small doses as a sleep aid for the past four years…

…Year Eight…

10th September

0 HOURS, 0 MINUTES

…still, I don’t sleep.

From the frazzled neurons of my brain comes a thought. I’ve had insomnia for almost a decade now. There has to be a more effective treatment than drugs and the entry-level talking therapy offered by the NHS.

Maybe things have moved on since I first sought treatment…

Last week, I begged my father to help me find another way. He has heard of a private GP with a sympathetic reputation. Tonight, the doctor comes to call.

The GP tells me there is an NHS ‘sleep clinic’ based within a 90-minute drive. I am ecstatic. How come this has never shown up in my Googling before? The doctor promises to write a referral letter to the clinic. ‘We offer diagnostic tests and treatments to people with a great range of sleep disorders from all around the UK,’ reads its impressive website. This bodes well!

Miranda Levy

The Insomnia Diaries: How I learned to Sleep Again by Miranda Levy (Paperback) £9.99

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The post Book excerpt: The Insomnia Diaries appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Our sleep changes as we get older, and not always for the best. So we’re going to look at how we can improve the quality of our sleep. Because good sleep is vital for health and happiness.

Some of us fall asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow. Some of us lie there thinking for ages, and some of us just can’t seem to get comfy. There are those of us with tinnitus, and lots who need a wee! But the more we try, and the older we get, the harder it is.

What’s the problem?

• Underlying health conditions, like heart and lung issues that affect breathing; acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion; joint and bone problems; enlarged prostate or an overactive bladder; as well as neurodegenerative problems like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s all affect sleep
• Medication side-effects
• Sleep apnoea is much more common as we get older and can wake us up through the night
• Restless leg syndrome is another common condition as we age and can make it very difficult to get to sleep
• Insomnia is a lot more common in older adults, whether it’s hard to go to sleep, hard to stay asleep, or you wake up too early
• Tinnitus can be very distracting when trying to sleep

Of course there are many other reasons why you might not sleep well. Problems like anxiety, money worries, or depression can play a huge part in why we might not be getting a good night’s kip.

So how do we improve the quality of sleep?

Well, there are lots of ways you can try and help yourself get better rested and make you feel less groggy throughout the day. Of course, some things can’t be helped like medical conditions and these issues are best left to doctors. But let’s start with some do-able stuff…

Firstly, how much sleep do you need?

Most adults need between 6 and 9 hours of sleep every night, according to the NHS, but everyone is different. But rarely do we actually get the same amount every night, whether that be because we’re not tired or maybe a busy, changing lifestyle.

Try and stick to a regular bedtime routine

Going to bed and getting up the same time every night and day can help, even on your days off. Your mental health will thank you, too. The body likes routine.

Try and separate bedroom from non-bedroom activities

Things like working, watching TV, or eating dinner in bed means it’s harder to separate your bed as your sleep zone.

Try not to nap, or if you do have to, keep it short

Napping is a great way to mess up your sleep routine and keep you up at night. But napping can also offer a real power boost sometimes. If you must nap, try and keep it to no more than 20 minutes.

Get some exercise

Exercising is a great way to make you tired and worn out. Try doing regular exercise, but not within three hours of when you want to sleep.

Sex is a great idea

Whether you’re with someone or on your own, sex and orgasms are great for promoting sleep. Sexual activity releases happy hormones like oxytocin, and reduces stress hormone cortisol.

Limit your drinking

Look at how much you’re drinking before bed as alcohol can have bad effects on our sleep. It may make us sleepy, but it can lead to us waking up regularly and a decrease in sleep quality.

Use gadgets wisely

I’m sure we’ve all gone to bed stressed from the day’s events. If you can, try not to look at your phone or watch the television within an hour of bedtime. Ditch the screen and that horrible blue light. Try and keep your sleeping space free of techy stuff if possible.

Instead, relax and do something non-invasive like read a book, or listen to calming music or spoken word. BBC Sounds has some amazing stress-busters to listen to, like Slow Radio, Mindful Mix (classical music – there’s even one with David Attenborough talking, heaven!), and All Night Unwind.

We feel sleepy already. How do bedtime stories actually work?

Lots of us have fond memories of drifting off to sleep being read a bedtime story. So is this why we drift off when listening to stories or audio books? We asked psychologist and psychotherapist Steve T Richards.

…storytelling has always been part of the human experience. Long before movies, or even writing, stories were told around campfires on open savannahs…

“There is the far memory of childhood experience, but of far more relevance is how narratives affect us in a deep-structure way. In preparing for sleep, our brain begins the gradual process of shutting down from outer stimulation, and drifting through the transition from our workaday life, and into the inner narrative of our dreams. Dreams have a narrative structure, similar to movies, novels, soap operas, and even audio-books.

“This is why storytelling has always been part of the human experience. Long before movies, or even writing, stories were told around campfires on open savannahs, as the light of day transitioned into night, preparing our ancestors for the journey into sleep, and the dream-time.

“Hypnosis works in a similar way. Engagement with a narrative is trance-inducing, and the best hypnotherapists utilise metaphor and narrative to induce that cross-over state of mind, within which the deep unconscious is receptive. Just as camp-fire stories passed on ancestral wisdom to our remote ancestors. The deep memory of this is still present in us all, and, quite naturally, we open ourselves up to the guiding narrative of things like audio books as we transition our modern, waking mind into the ancestral mind of dreaming-sleep.”

Having crazy dreams in lockdown? This is why…

It can be hard, but small changes can help

No-one has the same schedule or lifestyle. And these things play a huge part in how much sleep we can get and the quality of it. Want to learn more? Read our article Improving your sleep quality means better physical and mental health

Lili Lowe

Lili works across all the channels; writing articles, taking photographs, creating content, and designing eye-capturing imagery. She’s an animal-lover who cries just seeing a picture of a baby sloth.

The post How to improve the quality of your sleep appeared first on Silver Magazine.

In an informal study carried out by Silver Magazine, over 85% of respondents said they had been experiencing vivid, disturbing dreams since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and particularly since we’ve been in ‘lockdown’.

So if you’re one of those, don’t worry – you’re definitely not alone. And it’s important to note that you need them.

“Dreams are essential for the health of our mind and our body. We all dream, but not everyone can easily recall them,” explains Steven.

“Studies have shown that if people are deprived of dreaming sleep for a few days, they very quickly start to hallucinate and show psychotic symptoms.”

So what are people dreaming about?

We asked readers to tell us a bit about their dreams, and there’s some common threads through many of them, such as fighting wars, escaping situations, having sex with inappropriate people, and in many cases, dreaming about people who have long since died.

[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Hunting and foraging for food and water were the main reasons for venturing out. Being in lockdown subconsciously activates these ancient instincts[/perfectpullquote]

Rose Collis says, “The other night, I dreamed I was involved in a sort of all-female ‘Great Escape’ escape from the Nazis – except there was a lot more killing… I saw other women having their heads shot to smithereens. The sense of the danger I was in was so palpable – real life and death stuff.”

Roman Hunter is another one fighting the fight. “Mine have become action packed and lots of dead relatives helping out, very odd.”

Steven says that dreaming during lockdown throws our minds back into cave-dwelling days, and not just at night.

“Being forced to stay at home throws our minds back to our remote ancestors, who lived in caves for safety from predators and protection against a hostile natural environment.

“Hunting and foraging for food and water were the main reasons for venturing out. Being in lockdown subconsciously activates these ancient instincts, making shopping for essentials and getting exercise potentially very stressful.”

Survival of the fittest

“Our competitive drive will also mean that as the restrictions continue, our basic instincts will sharpen. As time passes, some may even feel that the police are like ‘predators’ to be avoided, whilst our survival instincts drive us to get better at securing resources. The police themselves may even find that a predatory instinct kicks in, as they patrol their beat seeking out people breaking the rules.

“Our brains and minds will anticipate these instinctive pressures, and prepare us for adapting to the situation by increasing the intensity and quality of our dreams.”

So our dreams are a way of limbering up our survival instincts, and important for our ability to survive. It’s a very primal activity, but the mad dreams are actually keeping us sane?

“Yes, because it’s a natural and healthy reaction to a very stressful and novel situation. Your mind and body are opposite sides of the same coin; what affects one affects the other. To keep in healthy balance, your mind and body need to communicate. We experience this communication in our dreams. Underneath the images and symbols, our brains are adapting at a neurological level to the new challenges presented by COVID-19.”

Can we diagnose our own mental health using our dream material?

“Definitely. But be careful! All of our personal complexes populate our dreams, appearing like people we may know in outer life. Sometimes they are exactly what they appear to be. But just as often they represent parts of ourselves that we’ve either ‘projected’ onto people we know, or ‘introjected’ by unconsciously borrowing their image to represent a part of ourselves.

“Knowing how to approach our dreams is very important. Accept it as normal, but look closely at the content of your dreams and learn to take them as natural facts written in a symbolic language. If you respect your dreams, your psyche will respect ‘you’. Keep focused on the outer world, but acknowledge your rich, inherited inner life.”

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Nightmares are part of the normal turn-over in the mind and brain that is necessary for health[/perfectpullquote]

The majority of people we talked to reported having vivid, unsettling dreams during lockdown, or nightmares. They’re feeling impending doom, fighting battles, and waking up exhausted. Is there any way to manage this, or avoid having such intense dreaming experiences?

“This depends on the cause. Nightmares are part of the normal turn-over in the mind and brain that is necessary for health. Nightmares can be caused by illness or disease; indeed, by anything that affects the proper functioning of the brain.

“Nightmares caused by trauma in the past or stress occurring in the present can, if they are persistent, be dealt with through the help of a suitably trained and experienced therapist. Many people take the challenge of embarking on their own inner work and enter on a journey of self-discovery by self-analysing their dreams and nightmares.”

When will it end?

So sometimes you need to shine the light on something to make the darkness disappear. How about once lockdown is lifted and life gets back to some kind of normality – will this crazy dreaming stop then?

“Yes, but there will be a period of readjustment, and your psyche and your brain will need to re-calibrate to the change. It’ll be quite normal for this to take some time, or even in a very few cases, persist over a longer period.

“Meanwhile, sleep is absolutely essential for health, and dreams are a part of this. Get the sleep you need for physical and mental health. And enjoy the rich dream narratives your psyche produces as the background to your conscious mental life.”

Huge thanks for this insight to Steven T Richards FIPSA FNCP, Depth Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Respiratory Psychophysiologist.

You can find Steve and his wife Pauline, who works in the same field, on the Jung to Live By Youtube channel, offering depth psychological resources.

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Having crazy dreams during lockdown? This is what it means appeared first on Silver Magazine.

What is World Sleep Day?

World Sleep Day was established to acknowledge the significance of sleep. The annual event aims to educate people on important issues related to sleep, with specific focus on better prevention and management of sleep disorders.

According to their website, World Sleep Day was started by a group of dedicated healthcare providers.

“Time and time again, sleep professionals and researchers came up against the belief that sleep was not important enough in personal health and wellbeing to be a priority,” they explain.

Time and time again, sleep professionals and researchers came up against the belief that sleep was not important

“Coupled with society’s 24/7 flow, the founders of this awareness event aim to celebrate the importance of healthy sleep.”

Why do I need to know this?

Sleep patterns change with age for a variety of reasons. These include – but are most definitely not limited to – the effects of menopause, prostate issues, increased snoring, and arthritis. There are environmental issues that affect sleep too, such as longer working hours and later retirement ages, meaning it takes time to wind down.

Increased use of screen time also affects our ability to switch off, keeping our brains active and beaming ‘wake-up’ blue light into your eyes.

People are desperately needing a better relationship with their sleep, they just aren’t realising it.

I sleep plenty – why should I be concerned?

Our bodies need plenty of sleep, but it’s about quality, not quantity. Sleeping for 10 hours a day is futile if it’s interrupted and uncomfortable – it’s also too long. Aim for around seven or eight hours.

As highlighted by the World Sleep Day bods, sleep is often a neglected component of a person’s overall well-being. We know that we must drink lots of water and eat our veggies, but for some reason we often forget about the necessity of sleep for our health.

Sleep is linked to several brain functions such as concentration and productivity

It’s important because it enables our body to rest and repair, to be fit and ready for another day. Sleep is linked to several brain functions such as concentration and productivity. There are also benefits in terms of preventing health complications with our organs, and it’s a key instrument in strengthening the immune system.

While the physical health benefits are important, so is our mental health, and a good sleep routine is absolutely necessary for ensuring a healthier mind.

TOP TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR SLEEP HEALTH

• Reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake during the day
• Cut down on screen time – aim to have an hour without your phone or tablet before bed. And include the TV in that too. It’s stimulating light.
• Invest in the right pillow for you – there are different types for side sleepers, people who sleep on their backs and so on. Investigate
• Ensure your bedroom is the right temperature – it’s best to sleep in a cool room, so crack open a window (weather permitting!)
• Think about black-out curtains if your room gets a lot of light pollution
• Get ear plugs if you live in a loud environment or sleep with a snorer
• Perfect your night-time routine – a lavender bath, cup of tea, and read a chapter of your book, perhaps. Or meditate? Whatever slows you down. Do it as often as possible so your body starts to connect it with bedtime
• Aim to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day – regular sleep is where it’s at, not four hours here, ten hours there. Your body hates that
• Speak to your GP about the benefits of tablets that include melatonin, the sleep hormone. They’re not for everyone but have helped many people
• Make sure you get some fresh air and enough exercise during the day; even a 10-minute walk can help
• Stay hydrated

Want to find out more? Read our article mythbusting common sleep claims

Carly Pepperell

Carly gets to do everything under the sun, including writing, editing, taking photos, creating stories, and swanning around at launches. She can down a glass of Prosecco without pausing for breath, and aims to be the youngest Pulitzer winner ever.

The post Improving your sleep quality means better physical and mental health appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Sleep is clearly a subject on many people’s minds, but with that, dozens of myths have developed over the years. So how do you spot the difference between science of sleep and simple old wives’ tales?

Does drinking warm milk help you sleep?

Well, milk does have tryptophan in it. This produces serotonin, which is one of the happy chemicals which contributes to feelings of happiness and wellbeing when released in the brain. However, there is no scientific evidence to support the idea that warm milk helps you to sleep.

Older people need less sleep

Not true! Scientists and sleep experts recommend that adults have between 7-9 hours’ sleep a night. This does not change as we get older. What does change is your sleep pattern – you might find that as you get older you sleep less at night time, but that is often because you may have more rest or a nap during the day.

Snoring isn’t harmful

Generally speaking, snoring is annoying for partners, but isn’t bad for the snorer. However, for some people snoring is a sign of sleep apnoea, which is a dangerous condition. During sleep, some people snore and their breathing pauses. The person wakes suddenly, gasping for breath. People who have sleep apnoea may feel tired during the daytime due to the constant disruptions with their sleep. Sleep apnoea is treatable so if you feel that you or someone you know is showing signs, seek medical advice.

Chamomile tea helps you sleep

For many years people have talked about the calming effects of chamomile. It has little or no caffeine in it, and we know that cutting down on caffeine is known to have a positive effect on the quality of your sleep, however there is no scientific evidence to support the myth that chamomile tea helps you sleep.

Cheese gives you nightmares

Back in 2005, The Cheese Board conducted a study which included giving different cheeses to a range of people to monitor the effects it had on them at different times of the day. Though cheese was linked with increased amount of dreams, in 75% of the participants there were no nightmares. So, there is no scientific evidence to support cheese before bed gives you nightmares.

Not everyone dreams

Many people say they do not remember their dreams, but they do have them. Dreams help you to process your experiences and emotions, and are important for overall health and wellbeing. Studies have also led us to believe that dreams actually help you to develop problem solving skills, and are connected to your creativity.

Your body gets used to a lack of sleep

This is untrue. As above, most adults need between 7-9 hours’ sleep a night. Though you may cope for a short while, eventually not getting enough sleep will have an impact on you both physically and psychologically. More and more research is pointing to the correlation between poor quality sleep and diseases and illnesses including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and depression.

Counting sheep will help you nod off

Um, sorry but no. Keeping the mind active is unlikely to be a very useful aid to sleeping. Focusing the mind on visualising something much more relaxing, such as sitting in a comfy chair in front of a warm fire or sitting on a beach on holiday, have been shown to be more helpful as they relax the mind with something much more pleasant and calming.

Jane Bozier is a mental health nurse and sleep expert, whose guided imagery exercises are featured in new sleep app, Rise – available to download from the App Store and Google Play.

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The post Mythbusting – common claims about sleep. True or false? appeared first on Silver Magazine.