Seven things we get wrong about sleep and how to fix them
There is no shortage of tips for getting a good night's sleep, from using CBD tinctures to ditching tech in the bedroom. We're obsessed, and for good reason — sleep is the bedrock (pun intended) of our physical and mental health. It affects our immune systems, how we look and how much stress we can handle. But what do we actually know about it — and which advice is worth listening to? These are seven lessons to sleep on.
1. Sleep deprivation isn't always bad for you
Good news for all new parents: there is an upside to surviving on a few hours' sleep — though only if it's short-lived. 'A single night of sleep deprivation can temporarily increase dopamine, making you feel euphoric, creative or even hyper-focused, which is why some artists and entrepreneurs swear by it,' Romiszewski says. 'In fact, sleep deprivation has been used as a temporary mood booster for depression.'
Parents of newborns might feel temporarily energised by sleep deprivation. Picture: iStock
2. Grogginess isn't a sign you need more sleep
Have you ever woken up feeling rubbish and thought you should hit snooze? Bad idea. It might make you even more tired. 'This is just sleep inertia, a natural state of grogginess after waking,' Romiszewski says. 'If you go back to sleep you are likely to begin a new sleep cycle and wake up feeling even worse. Instead, get up and get some morning light. That grogginess will fade naturally.'
3. Separate rooms doesn't mean you'll sleep better
Many couples swear by sleeping in separate rooms (aka a 'sleep divorce'). 'Research suggests men actually sleep better with a partner,' says Dr Sophie Bostock, founder of the Sleep Scientist website. 'But for women it's easier to sleep when you don't have to cope with the noise and heat of another body.' Plus, most snorers are men.
Separate duvets is an answer for many couples where someone is struggling to sleep. Picture: iStock
For women, hormonal changes in temperature throughout your cycle can also wreak havoc on your sleep. 'I often suggest having separate duvets,' Wilson says. 'This helps you to better regulate your temperature, which is helpful if you are menstruating or going through the menopause.'
4. It's not your bedtime routine that really matters — it's your morning one
Having a set bedtime matters much less than when you set your alarm in the morning. 'Another common cause of poor sleep is irregular wake times,' Romiszewski says. 'Morning habits, such as consistent wake-up times and morning light exposure, are far more impactful.' This is because it influences your two sleep mechanisms: sleep drive — the pressure to sleep that builds in the body as the day goes on — and circadian rhythm, aka our body clock. This is why having a long lie-in at the weekend can derail the next week's sleep, as you aren't as tired on Monday evening.
Consistency is key. 'Chances are you can't go to bed at the same time every night,' Wilson says. 'But if you can wake up at the same time every day, you'll fall asleep easier. You're better off having six hours every night at roughly the same time rather than sleeping for longer at the weekend.'
5. Don't overthink it
Gen Z champion new sleep tips on TikTok every few months. Recent ones include taping your mouth shut and using a red lightbulb to accelerate the production of the sleepy hormone, melatonin. None of this is helping us to sleep better.
'When I started my practice a decade ago, the bulk of my clients used to come to me with what we would think of as traditional insomnia,' says James Wilson, a sleep coach who calls himself the Sleep Geek. 'Today I spend a lot of my time trying to unpick what I call 'sleep bollocks' — debunking these 'hacks' that claim to make you sleep better.' Stephanie Romiszewski, a sleep physiologist and the founder of Sleepyhead Clinic in Exeter, agrees. 'The more ritualistic we become, the worse our sleep anxiety gets. If you believe you must have a weighted blanket, a lavender mist and the right soundscape to drift off, you're training your brain to think sleep is fragile and complicated. Good sleepers don't obsess over sleep — they let it happen.'
6. And probably don't track it
Watch out for sleep trackers making you anxious about their sleep score. Picture: iStock
Whether you wear an Apple watch or an Oura ring, developing an obsession with your sleep score can have a negative impact. 'Trackers fuel anxiety by making people feel that their sleep must be 'perfect' every night,' Romiszewski says.
'This leads to orthosomnia, a condition where worrying about sleep quality actually causes insomnia. People wake up, check their tracker and if it tells them they've had bad sleep, they suddenly feel more tired, whether they actually are or not.'
7. But your mattress is the one thing you really should invest in
Rather than forking out on expensive sleep tech, look at your bed first. 'If sleep is the foundation of our health, your mattress, pillows and duvet are the foundation of your sleep,' Wilson says. 'It's the first thing I'll look at with a client — there's no point doing a meditation before bed with an app if you are getting a stiff neck from your pillow or you are too hot from your duvet, and that's why you aren't sleeping properly.'
The Times
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Mass arrests in LA as an emergency curfew comes into effect
The Los Angeles Police Department says officers have conducted mass arrests, after a curfew was implemented in the city. In a statement, the LAPD says several groups of protesters are still gathered in a designated curfew zone, prompting them to conduct mass arrests. The city's mayor, Karen Bass, who issued the curfew, has urged the Trump administration to end the immigration raids. Speaking earlier at the airport, US President Donald Trump insists that it's necessary to keep National Guard troops inside the city. "A very simple rule of engagement. If they're dangerous, if they're throwing concrete or bricks, if they're spitting in the face of the police or whoever's in front of them, if they're punching people, if they're doing all of the things that you see done for the last three nights, that I would say is engagement. We need to keep our city... I want to save Los Angeles. And (Governor Gavin) Newsom is totally incompetent. He's not going to... Look at the fires he had." The regulation of Australia's fertility sector will be discussed at a meeting of state and territory health ministers on Friday, after a second instance of an error during an embryo transfer done by Australian fertility group Monash IVF. In a statement to the stock exchange, the company says it transferred the wrong embryo to a patient on June 5 at the company's Clayton laboratory in Melbourne. Monash IVF has issued an apology to the impacted couple - and is also conducting an internal investigation. The Victorian Health Regulator says it has also begun an external investigation into how the error occurred. Assistant Minister for Social Services Ged Kearney says the Federal Health Minister Mark Butler is closely watching the case. "Well this is something that simply shouldn't happen, and my heart goes out to the people affected by the situation. Really it's a tragedy in some ways. It's unacceptable, and it shouldn't have happened, let's just put that on the table. And I know that Minister Butler is very interested in this, and has called for this to be on the agenda of the health minister meeting, which is actually happening on Friday, very timely. So it would be an important issue to be discussed there." Negotiations for a Treaty between Victoria's Indigenous peoples and the state government resumes today. Victoria became the first jurisdiction to begin work on Treaty with its Indigenous peoples more than eight years ago, with official treaty negotiations began last year in November. First Peoples' Assembly Co-Chair, Ngarra Murra says she is looking forward to building on the progress made so far on issues including: the ongoing representation of First Peoples in Victoria; an accountability mechanism to ensure policies and programs are achieving positive outcomes for First Peoples; and continuing Truth-Telling beyond the conclusion of the Yoorrook Justice Commission's work. Australia is one of the only Commonwealth countries that has not signed a federal treaty with First Nations peoples. Business and industry groups have welcomed the prime minister's announcement that the government will hold a productivity forum in August this year. Anthony Albanese announced the round-table late on Tuesday, saying it will bring together unions, civil society and business groups to exchange ideas. Australian Industry Group Chief Executive Innes Willox says the sector hopes the meeting will help spur private investment. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Andrew McKellar says an ambitious productivity agenda is vital for the nation's future. "Without productivity growth, you can't have sustainable increases in living standards. That's the only way that you're going to get real wages increasing without it being chewed up by inflation. It's about taking the pressure off small business, more time for business, reducing red tape, the impact of regulation, ensuring that they've got technologies that make it easier to work. So it's of benefit to employees and to businesses." In sports, Spanish cyclist Iván Romeo has taken the overall lead at the Criterium du Dauphiné with a stunning solo victory on Stage 3. In the second win of his career, Romeo completed the hilly run across the southeast of France in 4 hours 34 minutes 10 seconds. The 21-year-old says he will be looking to maintain his advantage in the upcoming 17.4-kilometre time trial. "I'm going go for it for sure. I hope yellow will give me wings because I will need them. We will see. I am here for Enric (Mas). We are going to do everything for him to put him on the podium. I think this is good for the team to boost their confidence, so I hope the week keeps this way."
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Doctors' warning about ‘insidious' social media trend
It's no secret that young girls are obsessed with beauty — just look at the popularity of 'get ready with me' videos on social media. In a survey last year, more than three in four parents reported that their seven to 17-year-old girls have a 'skin care routine'. A groundbreaking new study out of Northwestern University warned that these girls are shelling out a lot of money for skin care that may cause redness and not protect them from the sun's harmful rays, New York Post reported. 'It's problematic to show girls devoting this much time and attention to their skin,' said corresponding study author Dr. Molly Hales, a postdoctoral research fellow and a board-certified dermatologist at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. For this study, Hales and another researcher created their own TikTok accounts under the guise that they were 13. They collected 100 unique videos suggested in the 'For You' tab. They analysed the demographics of content creators, the products used and the total cost of routines, finding that girls 7 to 18 are applying an average of six facial products at once. Some girls use more than a dozen. Researchers estimated that these kids fork out an average of $A257 for about a month's worth of products. In the jaw-dropping cases, they are spending more than $A765. The products in the top viewed videos contained 11 active ingredients on average. In one clip, a creator rubbed 10 products on her face in six minutes. 'As she's applying the products, she begins to express discomfort and burning, and in the final few minutes, she develops a visible skin reaction,' said senior study author Dr. Tara Lagu, an adjunct lecturer of medicine and medical social sciences at Feinberg. Hales noted that the irritation stems from using products with clashing active ingredients, as well as applying the same active ingredient over and over again, not knowing it's in several products. Girls also face the risk of sun sensitivity and a skin allergy known as allergic contact dermatitis, which causes a rash. Only 26 per cent of daytime skin care regimens included sunscreen, the Northwestern study found, even though it's key to preventing skin cancer. The research — billed as the first peer-reviewed study to explore the pros and cons of teen skin care routines shared on social media — was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Beyond the health risks, mental distress is also a concern. Beauty videos on social media can contribute to lower self-esteem and pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. Lagu noted that many videos 'emphasised lighter, brighter skin.' 'We're setting a very high standard for these girls,' Hales said. 'The pursuit of health has become a kind of virtue in our society, but the ideal of 'health' is also very wrapped up in ideals of beauty, thinness and whiteness,' she added. 'The insidious thing about 'skincare' is that it claims to be about health.' TikTok is only for users 13 and older, a rep reminded CNN, and creators who are too young are removed from the platform. The company also works with third-party adolescent development experts and doctors to establish safeguarding policies, the spokesperson added.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
Biocurious: Clever Culture Systems has a lot on its ‘plate' as it revolutionises quality control in drug making
Clever Culture's AI-enabled APAS Independence device automates the arduous process of agar plate reading at large drug facilities Having attracted Astrazeneca as a foundation client, the company is talking to at least 14 more Big Pharma players The company will expand APAS usage from so-called 'settled' agar plates to 'contact' plates Reports of big pharmaceutical companies expanding their manufacturing footprint are music to the ears of Clever Culture Systems' (ASX:CC5) CEO Brent Barnes. That's because the agar plate reading device maker's business is leveraged to Big Pharma's drug making volumes, at ultra-clean 'aseptic' facilities. 'There are many examples of pharmaceutical companies investing hundreds and millions of dollars in greenfield facilities or expanding and modernising existing ones,' he says. Not surprisingly the activity centres in the US, given Donald Trump's decree of a yet-to-be quantified tariff on offshore drugs. But much of the activity precedes the Trumpian Era Mark Two. For instance, Novo Nordisk is investing more than US$4 billion on a new facility in Clayton, North Carolina. The site will produce Novo's obesity and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. 'It's a great industry to be in, because potentially there will be a huge shortage of capacity,' Barnes says. A clean room is a joyful room Barnes' joy has been sparked by the Adelaide-based Clever Culture's role in ensuring the aseptic facilities are kept cleaner than a rumpus room after a Marie Kondo blitz. In this case, 'clean' means free of pathogens rather than clutter. The company's AI-enabled device APAS Independence automatically reads the hundreds of agar plates required to ensure such quality control. Short for 'Automated Plate Assessment System', APAS can manage 200 plates per hour without a tea break or whingeing. The facilities need to install and read culture plates as part of mandated environmental monitoring processes. Now, the microbiologists can focus only on the plates that read positive. 'The plate is clean 99% of the time but if there are bacteria the process can flag a quality event that could halt production,' Barnes say. 'The results are critical in terms of releasing drugs that are safe and effective.' The US Food and Drug Administration approved APAS Independence in May 2019 and European regulators followed suit in September 2021. Strategy U-turn gains traction Formerly known as LBT and then LBT Innovations, Clever Culture focused initially on the clinical microbiology market: hospitals and pathology labs. But the company discovered that while the tech was proven, these potential clients viewed the device as a 'nice to have' rather than a 'must have'. Clever Culture turned to the Big Pharma market, attracting Astrazeneca as a cornerstone customer. Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) followed suit. Customers use the units - made in Melbourne by the renowned contract manufacturer by Planet Innovation - in the US, Singapore, China, the UK, Sweden and locally. 'We are focused on the largest pharmaceutical companies,' Barnes says. 'We do that by getting into their 'centre of excellence' facilities – every pharma has one – in the expectation the client will standardise APAS across all its facilities.' Tests by the plateload The quality control process involves 90 millimetre 'settled' plates being left open, to absorb any pathogens in the room. The plates are then sealed and removed every four hours, to be read after a five-day incubation period. A large facility will produce a steady stream of hundreds of plates. The rooms also use a second type of agar test – a 'contact' plate about 55-60mm in diameter. Assistants dab the plate's contents on to surfaces, such as a gown or gloved fingertips. The plates are cultured and read in a similar way to the settled plates. APAS simply doesn't do false negatives – if a bacterial colony is present, the algo will detect it 100% of the time. But there's more leeway with false positives. As a result, about 10% of plates are checked by two real-life microbiologists. Expanding the market To date, the APAS units have only been able to process the settled plates. But Clever Culture is tweaking the physical configuration of the units – as well as the algos – to process these smaller plates. The company aims for a mid-year launch. Given quality control is split roughly half between settled and contact plates, catering for the latter would seem to double the market for APAS. It doesn't quite work like that: the contact plate modality is more about enabling clients to automate 100% of their plate reading. Thus, Clever Culture hopes the device will appeal to smaller customers who otherwise could not justify the cost. 'It's great value add for the customer because they only invest once in the hardware, which can now operate both types of plates,' Barnes says. Clever Culture is also mulling a cheaper desktop version, APAS Compact, which similarly would expand the market to the smaller facilities. Revenue model Clever Culture currently has 13 APAS devices in the field, having launched the units last year. Astrazeneca accounts for nine of them, having started with one. BMS started with one site – its centre of excellence – and now has expanded usage to a second facility under a 'sequential rollout'. Barnes says the company is holding discussions with 14 of the 40 biggest pharma companies. One of them is completing an expanded 6000 plate evaluation, potentially enabling Clever Culture to hold procurement discussions directly with the manufacturing sites. More broadly the company cites a 'pipeline' of 40 customers, representing upfront revenue of about $75 million and $15 million of recurring revenue. The APAS units sells for US$350,000, but Clever Culture then derives ongoing income from an annual software licence of US$30,000 (rising to US$50,000 with the contact plate modality). There's also an annual hardware maintenance fee of $US15,000-25,000. In the black Clever Culture reported $500,000 of net cash inflows in the March (third) quarter, its second successive quarter in the black. The company recorded receipts of $2.3 million, $2 million attributable to sales to Astrazenca. The board expects the company to have 'breakeven or better' cashflow in the current half. Clever Culture ended the quarter with cash of $2.2 million. The company expects to bank $3.6 million of outstanding receivables in the current half. 'We don't need to raise capital to keep the lights on,' Barnes says. Furthermore, the company has issued in-the-money options, exercisable at 0.8 cents by November this year. This compares with yesterday's close of 1.8 cents. If investors exercise all of them - a reasonable assumption - they would generate other $3.2 million. Clever Culture has earmarked $1 million to pay off a $1 million, low-interest loan from the South Australian Government. But some of the funds could support developing APAS Compact. Leveraging a decade's work 'This company has completely turned around over the last 12 months because of its successful launch into pharma,' Barnes says. Since the then LBT listed in mid 2006, the company has spent at least $60 million developing APAS. The company's initial misstep into the laboratory sector shows that even if a device is clinically validated, the market needs compelling cost reasons to switch. 'Infectious diseases are not usually life threatening, so a delay in getting a result back or mistake is simply inconvenient,' Barnes says. 'They may pay microbiologists overtime to repeat the test, but there are no real consequences.' It's a different story for aseptic drug production at a massive scale. 'The consequence of getting it wrong literally is life-threatening,' Barnes says. 'The cost of a product recall and the reputation damage would be in the hundreds of millions. 'In the worst-case scenario, a patient could die.'
