Do you find yourself putting undue pressure on yourself to sleep perfectly? If so, you’re not alone. As an insomnia specialist, I see time and time again how people struggling to sleep well often add too much pressure to the process. Trying too hard can turn sleep into a battle — a battle you can’t win, because the more you fight it, the more alert your body becomes. Take note of why sleeping well matters to you. We all want to sleep well but dig deeper to find out why it matters to you. Do you worry about your work performance? Or maybe your health? As a result of this pressure, what have you ..read more

Believe it or not, the biggest mistake people make when trying to improve their sleep, is trying too hard. From intense bedtime routines to buying all the gadgets and gizmos, the issue is that putting too much effort into your sleep will, unfortunately, make it worse. Why? Because when we focus too hard on our sleep, we become extra vigilant. This triggers our fight or flight – designed to keep us safe by getting us ready to fight. Unfortunately, this level of adrenalin means we don’t get good, quality sleep, as our mind is racing and our blood pumping, neither of which is conducive to a good ..read more

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, the likes of weight loss, healthier eating and increased exercise are all hugely popular. However, improving sleep is often overlooked. Sleep is a fundamental pillar of health, and recent insights reveal its pivotal role in weight loss, sustained motivation, mood enhancement, and other common New Year's resolutions. Overlooking the importance of sleep can diminish the effectiveness of efforts in areas like diet and exercise, as fatigue can lead to reduced energy and motivation, hindering overall well-being. In fact, research shows that how poorly you sl ..read more

Party season is well and truly here and as the festivities kick off for Christmas, more of us will be drinking more alcohol than usual. However, have you ever considered how this might impact on your sleep? Some people associate alcohol with falling asleep more easily. In fact, if you have a problem with falling asleep, you might find alcohol has a sort of sedative effect. However, it’s important to note that while you may fall asleep more easily, sleep after consuming alcohol is generally less restorative, so you will feel more tired the next day.  In addition, when sleeping after drinki ..read more

From Christmas parties to family gatherings and the big day itself, the festive season can play havoc with our routine and in turn, our sleep. So, if you’re worried about feeling tired over the Christmas period, here are some tips to help you maintain your energy levels, even when sleep is a little harder to come by! Accept your sleep may be disturbed if you have people staying over, or you are staying elsewhere, and remember this is temporary. Things will go back to normal after Christmas, so try to enjoy the ‘chaos’! Watch your alcohol intake. Alcohol disrupts our sleep, causing us to ha ..read more

When it comes to people struggling with their sleep during menopause, hot flushes and panic are often the key triggers for them seeking help. When we have hot flushes during or before menopause, it can often disrupt our sleep and we can wake up feeling really panicked. So, perhaps your heart will be racing, or you will be feeling hot, sweaty and panicky. This is really common, because when we get that hot suddenly, the body isn’t sure how to react, and this can trigger adrenaline. If you then spend time in bed when you’re stressed and anxious, this can then lead to an unhealthy connection with ..read more

If you suffer from anxiety, you’ve likely found your sleep suffering too. It’s a vicious cycle. The more anxious you are the worse your sleep gets, and the worse your sleep gets the more anxious you will feel. However, the good news is we can fix this. By tackling either your sleep or your anxiety you can start making steps towards improving both. Whilst anxiety is a really common trigger for insomnia, and also one of the main factors in keeping insomnia going, this doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your sleep while you have anxiety. Try the following tips to start your journey to better sle ..read more

When it comes to improving sleep, one of the first things that people turn to is creating a sleep routine. In theory, this is a really good idea and it’s good to have things you relate to falling asleep. However, it can also end up working in the opposite way and end up being a routine which leads to not sleeping. Here’s why. If you have a long winddown routine, for example doing yoga, some breathwork, having a bath and a cup of chamomile tea, but then you lie in bed for ages not being able to sleep, then actually your bedtime routine is leading up to the thing you don’t want. This will then d ..read more

There is so much information (and misinformation!) out there about sleep. So, to make things simple, I thought I would share the top five things that I, as an insomnia expert, think you need to hear about sleep. Focus on quality, not quantity. Good quality sleep is what will make you feel more rested and refreshed the next day, not lots of poor-quality sleep. The less time you spend in bed, the better the quality of sleep you will get. Keep your bed for sleep and sex only, and your brain will associate bed with these things, rather than wakefulness. Poor nights are normal. Don’t strive t ..read more

If you’re struggling with your sleep, you’ve probably come across something called ‘sleep hygiene’. A doctor may have told you about it, or you may have Googled your sleep problem and found the term ‘sleep hygiene’ here. In short, sleep hygiene is advice like giving up caffeine or alcohol, making sure your bedroom environment is comfortable, or relaxing before bed. None of this is bad advice, however the problem is that it is not a cure for insomnia. So, if you’re already sleeping poorly, these things will actually serve to add a lot more pressure to your falling asleep, giving you a long list ..read more