It’s something we all constantly want to get right. We’ve got watches to track us, we’re taping up our mouths (well I am, anyone else?), we’re even wearing specifically designed rings. But it seems for most of us, sleep is still fairly elusive.
And the numbers back it up. A recent survey conducted by ResMed found that 1 in 5 Australians are suffering from sleep apnea, and that 74 per cent of Australians are getting less than the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep per night, averaging just 6.75 hours. Yikes.
Why aren’t we sleeping well?
These sobering stats needed some further probing. So in light of World Sleep Day today, we spoke with sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo on why we’re sleeping poorly to, well, informatively torture ourselves a bit more.
Sleep apnea
1 in 5 Aussies are diagnosed with sleep apnea, which is inherently problematic for sleep. What is sleep apnea? It’s basically when your breathing repeatedly stops and starts, and it can have potentially dire consequences. Given that one of the hallmark symptoms is waking up countless times through the night, due to those partially blocked airways, sufferers of sleep apnea struggle to sleep well, if at all. Further, with many of the wakings marked with gasping for air, this can also contribute to anxiety (more on that later).
Alcohol
Alcohol suppresses REM sleep, the deep sleep stage in the last third of the night. As a result, after alcohol – even one glass counts – we often experience sleep interruptions after 3am, when REM sleep dominates. And yes, the more alcohol you have, and the closer it is to bedtime; the worse it is for your sleep!
Excessive caffeine
Many Aussies love an afternoon coffee, and if taken after 2pm, this can severely compromise sleep. As caffeine suppresses adenosine, a sleep promoting hormone; and the half-life (length of effect) is 8-10 hours, it means if we indulge in our 3pm pick me up caffeine hit, it’s likely we will struggle to fall asleep that night, and even if we do, we will have lighter sleep.
Overheating
In order to produce melatonin, our sleep promoting hormone, the body needs to maintain a cool core body temperature – so if we are overheating, sleeping in a hot room, our bedding is too warm or we are simply a ‘hot sleeper’, we are likely to struggle to sleep deeply, and are likely to wake unrefreshed; even if we have had our recommended 8 hours of sleep. Crank up the fans, pronto.
Anxiety
45% of Aussies report that anxiety is keeping them awake. That’s nearly half of us. When we are anxious, the body produces excessive amounts of cortisol, an awakening hormone, which leads to light, broken and restless sleep. This also contributes to that feeling of being ‘unable to switch off’. And that’ll make sense, too, as to why we’re ushered to literally ‘switch off’ with our phones and decrease exposure to blue light (the phone screens trick us into thinking it’s daytime – crazy, right?).
So now we know why we can’t sleep, how about we rectify it?
Jordan Bauer: Unsplash
Tips for better sleep quality
We caught up with Anna Robards, founder of Intu Wellness, for her top tips on sleep.
In the evening:
- I start winding down as soon as I get my daughter Elle (Anna’s daughter) to bed. While I may still have emails to address, as my business never sleeps, I still try to be away from my phone and social media if I can by 7:30 pm. That allows Tim and I to spend time together, cook dinner, watch a movie and try to de-stress from the day. Of course, I have another newborn (born in early March), which has thrown a spanner into the works with this routine. But on an ideal day, the routine I like to follow, which I believe helps me get as much rest as possible, is as follows;
- If I feel like I can’t calm or settle, I will look to do some breath work, meditation, or reading, or I will jump into the shower and enjoy some time under the warm water, which is calming.
- I always take magnesium powder around 30 minutes before bed. It helps calm my body and mind, and also plays a role in maintaining healthy sleep patterns that contribute to a more deep restful sleep.
- I reserve the bed for sleep and time with my husband only. This helps my brain associate the bed with rest.
- Journaling or making notes works for me. Occasionally, I write down every thought or idea that comes to my mind before bed. That “brain dump” clears my mind and reduces stress. Even doing this for five or so minutes can stop me from worrying or overthinking in bed (which has been known to go on for an hour or more).
In the day:
- I like to do reformer Pilates, strength training and go for long walks. Once I’m cleared to exercise again, I look forward to adding the former back into my routine. It promotes better sleep quality and duration by physically tiring the body and regulating circadian rhythms.
- I also love my infrared sauna. I use it three days a week and haven’t been able to during my pregnancy, so I’m thrilled it’s back in my routine again. Using a sauna can aid in better sleep by relaxing the muscles and healing endorphins, which can depress stress.
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Happy sleeping, everyone (but especially happy sleeping to all the sleep apnea and 6.75 hour folks).
