Sleep shouldn't be about the Don'ts

09 February 2010

Much of the advice we see about how to get a better night’s sleep is about what we shouldn’t be doing. “Don’t drink alcohol,” “don’t eat before bed”, “Don’t have a malt drink” or the perennial favourite “Don’t watch television in bed.”

The latest media to fall into this category The Times, who usually have excellent articles about sleep, (this article about cognitive behaviour therapy and its usefulness in treating sleep disorders was particularly good) but in a top 10 golden rules for a good night’s sleep one of their “rules” reads “Some people find reading in bed relaxing, but don’t work or watch television in the bedroom” if watching TV in the bedroom works for you, and you fall asleep as you watch it then there is nothing wrong with it. These sort of articles are based on the Sleep Hygiene rules that have been offered as sleep advice for the past couple of decades. Often these kind of list end up causing more stress than they relieve.

I find that if I work until late that if I watch TV for half an hour to an hour, especially if it is something funny (Family Guy is a particular favourite) then the quality of sleep I get is better. I may have an hour less than if I had gone straight to bed, but it relaxes me and means I sleep more soundly and wake up feeling refreshed.

This highlights the next mistake that many experts who offer a prescriptive solution to sleep problems make. There is nothing wrong with working in your bedroom, some people need to because of a lack of space the important thing is to make sure you give yourself enough time to relax and get your body and mind ready for sleep.

 
Another popular target is what we drink before sleep. We are told that alcohol is a no no. Generally this is true especially if you drink a lot, but if your sleep routine contains a glass of wine or small whiskey do not worry. It can help you relax, and can become an important cue to your body that it is time for sleep.

Our advice on sleep revolves around things that you should be doing.

• You should listen to your body, learn what helps you relax and go to bed when you are tired.
• Develop a routine before sleep that includes cues to alert your body that it is time for it to prepare for sleep. A drink before bed, a bath or shower or reading a book are all popular ones. Going to bed at the same time every night also helps the body get used to the routine.
• Make sure you have a good quality mattress and pillows. Make sure you pick the ones that are right for you. You can read our guide to mattresses and sleep here and pillows and sleep here.

James Wilson