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Recent evidence indicates that women are more prone to a poor night’s sleep than men.
A further study, in Canada, aimed to find out the reasons for this, aside from potential hormonal causes.
Researchers looked at age, race, education, marital status, number of children, income, body mass index, exercise, employment and snoring as possible factors linked to sleep deprivation. Interestingly, the findings were that for women aged 45 years and younger the only factor associated with getting less sleep was having children in the house, with each child increasing the odds of insufficient sleep by nearly 50 percent. No other factors, including exercise, marital status and age, were linked to how long younger women slept.
While potentially having less quality sleep may be one downside to having children, of course the positive aspects of having children will far outweigh this! But we do know that getting enough quality sleep is a key component of health and can impact on the heart, mind and weight control. Sleep also aids healing and supports the immune system. Health professionals recommend that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
Hopefully the tips below will help you get a better night’s sleep. Give them a try – they are probably easier than trying to get rid of the kids: Switch from overhead lights to lamplight an hour before bedtime, and use softer yellow light bulbs. Power down devices an hour before bedtime; screens transmit blue light waves that stimulate the brain. You can reduce the effect by turning down the brightness, or by using light altering software such as Twilight or f.lux, which can be downloaded. Some believe that even charging devices next to your bed can interrupt sleep patterns, due to electromagnetic fields, although this has not been scientifically proven
• Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help create healthy sleep rhythms and optimise sleep quality. Arrange your bedtime for when you normally feel tired, and avoid sleeping in on weekends as this could disrupt your sleep schedule. Most phones and exercise/health and wellness apps these days have settings that allow you to set a sleep schedule reminder and can also help you wake up gradually
• Regular exercise can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and increase the length of the deep, restorative stages of sleep. The more vigorous the exercise, the stronger the sleep benefits are, however even light exercise such as yoga or walking for 15 minutes a day will improve sleep quality. Aim to complete more vigorous exercise at least three hours before bedtime
• Caffeine can cause problems with sleep up to 10 hours after drinking it, so limit caffeine intake by mid-afternoon. At night, opt for herbal teas
• Watch TV, use your computer and complete work from a room separate from your bedroom. This will help your brain associate the bedroom with sleep only, and will allow you to wind down easier. Avoid answering work emails immediately before bed, as thinking about tomorrow’s ‘to do list’ will keep you awake
• If you find it hard to fall asleep due to stress or worry, your brain could be overstimulated. To calm the mind, try relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation; this entails lying on your back, taking a slow deep breath in through your nose and at the same time squeezing your toes, then release. Take another breath and work up slowly through the body, tensing then releasing your muscles one at a time
• Create a relaxing bedtime ritual. Make a toolbox of relaxing activities that you do before bed to help you relax, such as a warm bath, soft music, reading or gentle stretches.
