When it comes to sleep, it’s not just the quantity that matters. Sleep requirements change from person to person throughout our lives, so the myth that eight hours a night is needed should not necessarily be believed. Understanding your sleep patterns will help to get your most productive and best nights’ sleep, feeling rested when you wake and ready to take on the day.
What causes sleeping problems?
A variety of reasons can disrupt sleep, including mental health (stress, or anxiety), surroundings (temperature or noise), medical reasons (pain or medications) or a change in routine (shift work).
Functions of sleep
Sleep helps us to conserve our energy and restore our minds and bodies after a long day. For students, sleep is a major contributor to the consolidation of memories – both backing up short term and creating long term, which is very important for absorbing course materials.
Consequences of poor sleep can result in a decreased ability to perform daily tasks, reduced productivity, low mood and lack of energy.
Insomnia can occur when you feel trapped in the cycle of not sleeping.
Improving Sleep
One of the most important things to try to improve your sleep is to reduce the amount of time that you are awake in bed. Some useful sleep hygiene tips include going to bed only when you are tired, using an alarm clock to maintain a routine, limiting screen use, reserving the bedroom for sleep (as opposed to university work) and trying not to nap during the day.
Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, energy drinks and cigarettes in the evenings, and increasing day time activity (such as walking or biking) will help to improve sleep quality as well.
A sleep diary can help you to better understand your sleeping patterns and gain insight into what may be affecting them.
Utilising a worry tree can help you to work your way through anxious thoughts that might be keeping you awake at night. Listening to a relaxation podcast before bed might also help to calm you.
So, what exactly should I do?
While it can be frustrating and difficult to manage at times, remember that sleep changes throughout your life, and a lack of sleep cannot harm you in the short term.
Focus on the quality of you sleep, rather than the quantity.
Enabling Services will be offering a Wellbeing Workshop on Getting a Better Nights’ Sleep on Wednesday 24 February at 13:30 – which is open to all.
If you have tried some of these techniques and still have concerns about your sleeping patterns or anxiety levels, consider visiting your GP or visiting the Enabling Services Drop-In.