Sleep Matters
The Impact of Sleep on Health and Wellbeing
The Importance of Sleep
Sleeping helps to repair and restore our brains, not just our bodies. During sleep we can process information, consolidate memories, and undergo a number of maintenance processes that help us to function during the daytime.
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We spend approximately a third of our lives asleep. Sleep is an essential and involuntary process, without which we cannot function effectively. It is as essential to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health. Sleeping helps to repair and restore our brains, not just our bodies.
​During sleep we can process information, consolidate memories, and undergo a number of maintenance processes that help us to function during the daytime.
We all need to make sure we get the right amount of sleep, and enough good quality sleep. There is no set amount of sleep that is appropriate for everyone; some people need more sleep than others. Our ability to sleep is controlled by how sleepy we feel and our sleep pattern. How sleepy we feel relates to our drive to sleep. The sleep pattern relates to the regularity and timing of our sleep habits; if we have got into a pattern of sleeping at set times then we will be able to establish a better routine, and will find it easier to sleep at that time every day.
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Image: sleepfoundation.org
During sleep, the body goes through a variety of processes and sleep stages. Good quality sleep is likely to be the result of spending enough time in all of the stages, including enough deep sleep which helps us feel refreshed.
Poor sleep over a sustained period leads to a number of problems which are immediately recognisable, including fatigue, sleepiness, poor concentration, lapses in memory, and irritability.
When thinking about getting the sleep you need, it’s normal to focus on solely how many hours of sleep you get. While sleep duration is undoubtedly important, it’s not the only part of the equation. You should also consider sleep quality and whether the time spent sleeping is actually restorative.
There are four sleep stages, including one for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and three that form non-REM (NREM) sleep, and each plays a part in allowing you to wake up refreshed. Understanding the sleep cycle also helps explain how certain sleep disorders, including insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea, can impact a person’s sleep and health.
Sleep isn’t uniform. Over the course of the night, you go through several rounds of the sleep cycle, which is composed of four stages. In a typical night, a person goes through four to six sleep cycles. Not all sleep cycles are the same length, but on average they last about 90 minutes each.
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The first sleep cycle is often the shortest, ranging from 70 to 100 minutes, while later cycles tend to fall between 90 and 120 minutes. In addition, the composition of each cycle - how much time is spent in each phase of sleep - changes as the night goes along.
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Sleep cycles can vary from person to person and from night to night based on a wide range of factors such as age, recent sleep patterns, and alcohol consumption.
Image: thymeishoney.com
Up to one third of the population may suffer from insomnia (lack of sleep or poor quality sleep). This can affect mood, energy and concentration levels, our relationships, and our ability to stay awake and function during the day.
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Sleep and health are strongly related, poor sleep can increase the risk of having poor health, and poor health can make it harder to sleep. Common mental health problems like anxiety and depression can often underpin sleep problems. Where this is the case, a combination approach to treating the mental health problem and sleep problem in tandem is often the most effective.​
Sleep Is Your Superpower
Sleep is your life-support system and Mother Nature's best effort yet at immortality, says sleep scientist Matt Walker.
Learn more about sleep's impact on your learning, memory, immune system and even your genetic code - as well as some helpful tips for getting some shut-eye.
Different types of sleep problems
Sleep problems affect up to one-third of the population, influencing how we feel, think, and function.
Below are some of the most common sleep problems:
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insomnia is a condition in which you are regularly unable to fall or remain asleep for a long enough period of time. It can reduce concentration, energy, and mood. CBT-I is considered one of the most effective treatments for insomnia. Daytime exercise and mindfulness may also help. Speak to your GP if insomnia persists.
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sleepwalking occurs during deep sleep, meaning people often don’t remember doing it. While usually harmless, sleepwalking can be linked to stress, alcohol, or sleep deprivation. Maintaining good sleep hygiene through the HEAL framework may help.
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night terrors are different from nightmares. They also occur during deep sleep and are rarely remembered. They may cause intense fear, sweating, or screaming. In adults, they are sometimes linked to trauma. Therapy may help if night terrors interfere with daily life.
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snoring affects around 40% of adults in the UK. Sleeping on your side, reducing alcohol, exercising regularly, and addressing weight concerns can reduce snoring.
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sleep apnoea causes pauses in breathing lasting up to 30 seconds. Unlike snoring, it requires medical treatment to prevent oxygen loss. CPAP devices are a common therapy. See your GP if you suspect sleep apnoea.
Top Tips To Improve Sleep
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Reset your body's natural clock - are you a lark or a night owl?
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Sort your sleep rhythm with regular timings - go to bed and wake up at the same time, regardless of weekday or weekend. Weekend lie ins might be a bad idea.
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Establish a regular wind down routine, e.g. warm bath, lavender oils on pillow, dimming the lights
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Make your bedroom a haven away from computers, TV, phones, blue light. Social media late at night can disturb our sleep.
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Try Mindfulness activities, meditation or Breathing exercises before bed (see the mental wellbeing page)
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Keep it cool - our bodies needs a cool room to fall asleep or stay asleep - aim about 16-18 °C. Optimise your sleep environment.
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Nutrition: Eat ‘real food’, avoid processed foods, lower sugary foods and starchy carbohydrates. Include essential 'healthy' natural fats. Our healthy eating tips page gives some helpful information on different aspects of healthy eating and drinking.
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Avoid alcohol after 7pm - it acts as a stimulant and then a depressant - it disturbs your normal sleep architecture (sleeping tablets also disturb normal sleep)
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Exercise during the day (morning is best, avoid late night high intensity)
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Avoid late night snacks (they can cause a drop in your glucose levels later on and affect your sleep)
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Avoid caffeine after midday (coffee, tea, coke, chocolate and some pain killers)
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Try writing down a list of your worries and any ideas on how you might solve them before you go to bed
"Why We Sleep" by renowned neuroscientist Matthew Walker explores the crucial role that sleep plays in our lives. This video delves into the latest scientific findings on sleep and how it impacts our health, mental wellbeing, and daily functioning. Discover why sleep is so essential for our overall wellbeing.
How To Sleep Better For Good Health
​We often think of sleep as the third pillar of health underneath diet and exercise but Matthew believes sleep is the first pillar on which all others sit.
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Matthew shares research on how important sleep is for our health and the amazing power it has to recharge our mind and body.
Sleep deprivation and mental health have a two-way relationship. Poor sleep can increase the risk of mental health problems, which can then further disrupt sleep. Some examples of how mental health issues can affect sleep quality include:
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anxiety: Poor sleep and anxiety are commonly connected. This is because racing thoughts and stress can make it harder to fall and stay asleep.
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depression: The sleep and depression link can cause insomnia (too little sleep) or hypersomnia (too much sleep), disrupting circadian rhythms.
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post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Nightmares or night terrors can lead to repeated night wakings and anxiety about going to bed.
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bipolar disorder (mania): Periods of mania often reduce the ability to sleep or could cause people to skip sleep entirely.
Insomnia
Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, waking up too early or needing a medication to sleep. Insomnia tends to be given as a diagnosis when it is interfering with your ability to function. However, we all have good and bad days of sleep and no matter where you sit on that sliding scale, things could perhaps always improve.
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We can all benefit from improving the quality of our sleep. For many of us, it may simply be a case of making small lifestyle or attitude adjustments in order to help us sleep better. For those with insomnia it is usually necessary to seek more specialist treatment. Sleep medication is commonly used, but may have negative side effects and is not recommended in the long-term. Psychological approaches are useful for people with long-term insomnia because they can encourage us to establish good sleep patterns, and to develop a healthy, positive mental outlook about sleep, as well as dealing with worrying thoughts towards sleeping.
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Medications (hypnotics) are sometimes prescribed for just 2-4 weeks if insomnia is severe, disabling or causing extreme distress. There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of long term medications in the treatment of insomnia and there are concerns about their safety including drowsiness. They can lead to tolerance, dependence, rebound insomnia and increased risks in older people such as cognitive impairment and falls. CBTi, on the other hand, is a well validated, effective and safe method of treating insomnia.
Getting started with CBTi therapy
Patients can register for a free Sleepstation Sleep Hub account, and access all the tools, resources and support available to them.
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If you would like access to Sleepstation, there is no need to speak to your GP, patients can self-refer using the link below.
​Self Referral Link: https://app.sleepstation.org.uk/nhs/register
Please note: The Sleepstation support team comprises of sleep coaches, sleep therapists and sleep experts and overseen by a medical doctor and consultant psychiatrist.
Patients registered with Red and Green, Forestside and Waterfront & Solent practices
can access this service.
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This is a free service provided by your GP practice.
Proven solution to most sleep problems
The techniques that we use in our sleep programme can improve sleep for the vast majority of people. However, if you have one of the health conditions listed below then some of the techniques that we use might not be helpful for you.
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Sleepstation is not recommended for people with epilepsy, a history of seizures, psychosis, bipolar disorder, mania, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia or a personality disorder. It’s also not recommended for those at high risk of falling or who are currently detoxing from drugs or alcohol.
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For further details see our page on the free Sleepstation CBTi service.
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Resources: Apps and Books
Apps:
Websites:
Books:
Matthew Walker: Why We Sleep
Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World. Mark Williams and Danny Penman.
Audio:
Meditation via Soundcloud website
Further help and resources
Check out other free resources and guides:
Online sources of information and advice​
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British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association: Support and resources for snoring and sleep apnoea.
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British Sleep Society: Professional body supporting sleep research and care.
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Information source: mentalhealth.org.uk