The Devon Clinic

Tag: insomnia

  • Has Your sleep Gone out of sync?

    insomnia

    Have you found your set sleep and wake routine becoming blurred? You are not alone.

    Before I started working from home, I had a rather strict sleep routine. During the week I went to bed no later than 10.30 pm and woke up at 8 am. In the morning I would get up, get ready for work and leave by 8.40 am. Now, no two days are the same. Some nights I do go to bed at 10, others its 2 am. In the mornings, I can be awake at six or struggle to pull myself out at 8.55 to sign on to the system for 9 am. The days I have to force myself out of bed I spend in a confused haze, usually in nightwear and a cardigan.

    The days and nights blur, and as it is light until almost 9, it is hard to shift to night mode. Add to that the constant anxiety and negative press at every turn, I shouldn’t be surprised I’m finding routine tough, but I am. And I am not alone either.

    Over the past couple of months, millions have moved to work from home to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. For many, the experience has profoundly impacted their routines.

    “I sometimes wake up at 4, or 5 am even if I go to bed at 11 or 12, and I’m busy homeschooling three small children,” my friend said during a video call as she made dinner for her family. She went on to say that other days her children come in to wake her, which can be anytime from 6-10 am! “I sometimes just lay there in bed for hours unable to fall asleep.”

    sleepMany therapists have noticed the rise in clients reporting that they are having trouble sleeping.

    They note that even those that are used to working remotely or even from home are struggling. New challenges such as having their partner or children around, not being able to go outside, stress and anxiety about the constant influx of negative news and worries about family and friends are making things harder.

    Managing these stressors has led people to stay up later or snacking at odd times. These are normal responses, but they do wreak havoc on the circadian rhythm-the process that regulates the natural sleep-wake cycle.

    When I told a therapist that I’ve been doing just that-sleeping later in the morning to compensate for late nights, I was told not to do this. The therapist said to me that within a week, you’d be used to this pattern, so it is better to get up at your regular time. They advised to avoid napping and nighttime news (to avoid extra stress/worry) and to exercise in the morning sun as it gives energy.

    Sunlight is key to sleep

    Sunlight is the number one factor that affects our circadian rhythm. It lets our body know when to wake up and go to sleep, so being inside all of the time can disrupt the signals. Food also plays a part, so if you have been snacking more than usual close to bedtime, it can also play a role in why you are having a harder time going to sleep.

    Above all, hold on to whatever normalcy you can. Eat, sleep, shower, work, exercise as you did before Coronavirus. If you live with others, try to get them to follow the same routine so that you aren’t all fighting different zones of the day/night.

    If you are struggling, reach out. You can speak to one of our therapists for free. Contact us here, and we will put you in touch with someone.

    Remember, you cannot control the virus, how long you have to stay at home, the news or the economy. But you can control when you sleep and wake, how you manage your day and what you do with those negative feelings. Control what you can, keep an open dialogue and don’t be hard one yourself if something doesn’t go quite to plan.

  • The Problem With Sleep Trackers

    Sleep Trackers

    Tracking your sleep can lead to slumber induced anxiety

     

    For many fantasising about that perfect night’s sleep is just that, a fantasy. The hashtag #weekendgoals trends across social media as we all battle to get those precious eight hours.

    What happens when this fantasy turns into a fixated habit of meticulously checking smart wearable devices?

     

    The problem has become so widespread that it now has a clinical term: Orthosomnia.

     

    The term came from observations after increased reports of sleep disorders. Clients were convinced that the data from their smart devices was an accurate indicator of the quality of their sleep.

    One such case from Ireland cited a 45-year-old man referred for treatment of insomnia. He reported light and broken sleep resulting in irritability and low concentration levels. When asked to complete a sleep diary, he presented a graph from his sleep tracking device showing “undeniable” evidence of his poor sleep. He stated that if he could reach eight hours of sleep as opposed to the seven hours and forty-five minutes, currently achieved; then he would be okay.

    Further questioning about his activities surrounding sleep discovered that he worked until he went to bed and once in bed awoke during the night to check his phone. His job stress, combined with anxiety was the cause of his irritability and low concentration levels. He was unable to switch off.

    Unconvinced by this, he continued to track his sleep in a bid to “win” a higher score on his sleep device.

    Despite studies stating that sleep trackers are unable to discriminate the various stages of sleep and wakefulness accurately, many seeking professional support present these charts as fact. For professionals, it is hard to explain to clients that these “facts” are not diagnostic tools.

     

    Sleep TrackersSleep Diaries VS Sleep Trackers

     

    In 2018 a study compared four wearable sleep trackers. Seventy-nine individuals were given the task of keeping a written sleep diary and wearing one of these devices over three days.

    When compared the trackers did a good job at detecting when they fell asleep. However, they cannot be considered valid when it comes to identifying periods of waking during sleep. In other words, your sleep device may be telling you about broken sleep that never took place. A point to note when using these devices is to determine mood and energy levels in the morning.

     

    Conclusion

     

    The problem is that today we are glued to our devices. A 2017 survey found that a third of us check our phones within five minutes of getting into bed and 40% within five minutes of waking. A staggering half of us admit to checking them during the night.

    Before delving into the realms of sleep trackers, improvements to sleep can be made with simple lifestyle changes such as the usage of your smartphone. Researchers say the more interactive a device is before you sleep, the less quality of that sleep will be. Placement of these devices is also crucial as the temptation to check them during the night can be all too easy.

    It is safe to say that to help support a good night’s sleep remove all temptations from reach.

     

    Support

     

    If you are finding it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, we have talking and physical therapies that can aid your journey into a restful slumber.

    Talking therapies such as Counselling, Hypnotherapy and CBT are useful for when you have something on your mind. They are also very beneficial for when you need to relax, break the habit of waking up to check your phone or even smoke.

    Physical therapies such as chiropractic and massage can help with pain and relaxation, which studies have shown promote restful sleep.

     

  • Struggles to stay asleep can be draining in more than one way

    asleep

    If you struggle to stay asleep for the entire night you know how that can drain you both physically and mentally.

    Insomnia is not uncommon these days with many struggling to fall asleep -but there are ways you can get a restful night’s sleep. Some find that their issue is remaining asleep rather than going to sleep. If this sounds like you, we have some suggestions to combat those early hour awakenings.

    There are three recognised stages of sleep; deep, REM and light. Depending on when we experience each of these stages that result in us waking during those early hours.

    Deep sleep tends to be the first 1-3 hours of sleep, following this we enter REM or rapid eye movement, in which we enter a lighter sleep. Typically, REM sleep comes in 90-minute cycles, this means that you are more likely to wake up at the end of a cycle.

    Dr Neil, a sleep expert, says that natural sleep rhythms are to blame and that during REM stages we often find ourselves a lot more easily disturbed by our surroundings.

    It is also during this stage that the likes of birds chirping, a partner snoring, a phone vibrating or the bin men will launch us into consciousness-thus making the return to slumber the most difficult. Laying in bed feeling frustrated will not aid you back into the land of nod, and it is advised that you get up to distance yourself from your bed.

     

    “If you are still awake after 20 minutes, get up and do something like reading. When you are tired enough to sleep again, you will.” Dr Stanley

     

    It has been revealed that sharing a bed is the biggest disruption to sleep, followed closely by the light coming through the windows in summer.

    Using your screens in bed before sleep is a no-no due to the emitted blue light which affects the brain’s ability to switch off for the night.

    asleepIt is not advisable to check your phone if you wake during the night.

     

    Another key suggestion that has been proven to work is reducing the time spent in your bedroom, reserving this only for dressing and sleeping. This does also mean avoiding long lay-ins, watching television or reading the paper in bed.

    The more you associate your bedroom with sleep, the more your brain will recognise that when you are in there it is time to switch off for the night.

     

    If you or someone you know would like to discuss stress and sleeping problems please do get in touch with us.

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  • Can’t sleep? Don’t sleep? Want help to sleep?

    Are you having problems with sleep?stress

    You are not alone. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people will have problems either getting to sleep or staying asleep at some point in their lives. Wouldn’t it be great to know what to do if you were having problems with your insomnia? Could there be some effective techniques that you can learn to help you sleep better? Well there are.
    Susan Young, co- director of the Devon clinic has spent years researching insomnia and has designed a unique and innovative 2 day workshop that will help you teach yourself to become a better sleeper.

    Here’s what Susan has to say about sleep and the workshop:
    Good quality sleep is essential if we are to function at our best and look our best. We all know the term ‘beauty sleep’ and how we look and feel great following a good nights sleep. But getting a good nights sleep can sometimes be a bit hit and miss for some people.Sleep Trackers
    Just like you, I once was a poor sleeper. I knew I had to do something about it. I spent several years researching sleep and how to sleep better. This workshop is the result. I have tried and tested several different approaches to sleeping better on friends, family and clients. I now want to pass on my knowledge to you so that you can find which of the approaches work best for you.
    You may need more than one technique to help you improve your sleep, it sometimes depends on circumstances. I have therefore designed the workshop to include several different techniques, all of which you will practice under my instruction.