CHECK-UP:Sleep is as essential as food or drink to us, so make sure you get the right amount, writes Marion Kerr
I'VE ALWAYS been a sound sleeper, but for the past few weeks I haven't been able to sleep through the night. I'm now snappy and irritable and need to get a decent sleep before I go completely crazy.
Our need for sleep changes throughout our lives, with the amount required usually reducing as we get older. While some people manage fine with four hours, for others, nine hours just isn't enough. Sleep patterns can be disrupted by psychological factors, such as worry, anxiety and depression, resulting in problems dropping off, difficulty staying asleep and early morning waking. Acute physical illness or more chronic conditions including restless legs syndrome, sleep apnoea, breathing problems and chronic pain can also impact on our sleep. And, of course, as every new parent can testify, the arrival of a baby can seriously affect the amount and quality of a night's rest.
I've recently retired and since then I've been lying awake for hours just watching the clock. Maybe I should take a sleeping tablet.
When we have an established sleep routine, the act of sleeping becomes a habit. But when this routine is disturbed, and we compensate by lying in the next morning or taking a nap during the day, the body's internal clock can easily reset itself. Although most people can cope with short periods of broken sleep it is a different proposition when it goes on for longer, leaving the sufferer feeling permanently the worse for wear.
Retirement brings about major changes in our daily routine which can impact on our nightly routine also. You should try to re-establish a pre-bedtime regime, avoiding heavy meals late in the evening, or drinks that contain caffeine and alcohol.
Have a warm bath and a milky drink before retiring to bed and don't read or watch TV while in bed. While strenuous exercise before bedtime may alert you, regular gentle exercise earlier in the day will help tire you. Learn some relaxation techniques that can be used to get off to sleep and help you drift back should you wake during the night.
While sleeping tablets may be useful when taken for two or three nights, problems can occur if you become dependent on them. Unless insomnia is a chronic problem, most sleep difficulties can be resolved naturally, without recourse to medication.
Sleeping problems
The term insomnia is used to describe problems dropping off to sleep, difficulty staying asleep and early morning waking. Unless insomnia is a chronic problem most sleep difficulties can be resolved naturally without recourse to medication.