Latest news with #sleeptips
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I'm a Psychiatrist. There Are Common Myths About Sleep That Are Preventing You From Being Well Rested.
Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. If you've struggled to fall asleep, you may have tried a slew of tips and tricks: blackout shades, leaving your phone in another room, avoiding screens before bed, and keeping your room at a cool temperature at night. Perhaps you've indulged in new sheets or a special mattress or a wearable sleep tracker, too. Maybe these things have helped. Maybe they haven't. But there's another, more powerful approach to insomnia that's based on decades of research—and you might not even have heard of it. It works by changing our habits, questioning ideas that degrade our sleep, and bolstering our body's sleep drive. If its name is a bit of a mouthful, or its acronym a bit obscure, it makes up for it by sheer effectiveness, helping most people with insomnia slumber more contentedly. This treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is recommended by experts as the first and best treatment for insomnia, over and above sleeping pills, in part because its benefits last longer, compared to medications. It helps people fall asleep faster, spend more of the night sleeping, and feel happier with their sleep. And most people, in any case, say they'd rather try behavior change for insomnia versus a drug (which is perhaps why all those wellness sleep-hygiene tips persist). As a psychiatrist who has done extra training in sleep medicine, I've seen CBT-I work. About 10 percent of U.S. adults—or about 25 million people—suffer from insomnia, giving CBT-I vast potential. But there's a bottleneck: Traditionally, a clinical psychologist or therapist with extra training in CBT-I delivers the treatment over the course of multiple one-on-one there were just 659 behavioral sleep specialists throughout the entire U.S. as of 2016 (the most recent survey I know of). And fewer than 10 percent of clinical psychology training programs teach CBT-I. So there just aren't enough providers—not close to enough. The good news is that the core strategies of CBT-I still work when delivered by a digital app, or even, to an extent, by self-help booklets. So anyone who puts these principles into practice is likely to get some relief—maybe even someone reading this article. The 'cognitive' element—the C in CBT-I—seeks to dispel unrealistic ideas about sleep, pessimism about our power to improve our sleep, and the rush to blame sleep problems when we don't feel good. The theory is that certain beliefs—like the idea that we need eight hours, or that a bad night's sleep guarantees a lousy next day—worsen worries about sleep. These worries seem to activate our stress system and make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep, triggering a vicious cycle of pessimism about sleep that makes sleep poorer. CBT-I tries to put a stop to this. It really is a myth, by the way, that everyone needs their eight hours. The experts recommend seven, not eight, as the minimum number of hours for an adult. And it's also a myth that something is wrong if you don't sleep straight through the night. In clinic, I've found that some patients get relief just from learning that waking up once or twice during the night is part of normal, healthy sleep. A 2014 study that looked at the sleep diaries of 592 adults without sleep disorders found an average of 1.4 awakenings per night. But it's not just how you think. It's also what you do. And while CBT-I does include sleep hygiene tips like avoiding caffeine and bright screens before bed, these maneuvers haven't been found to work well for insomnia, at least not on their own. CBT-I's main behavioral directives—the B in CBT-I—are probably less familiar: cutting back on time in bed, changing your habits for getting in and out of bed, and waking up at the same time each day (no matter when you fall asleep). It may seem kind of ironic to ask someone trying to get more sleep to cut down on their time in bed. But restricting time in bed is one of the most powerful levers we have to make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. In traditional CBT-I, the person with insomnia brings a two-week sleep diary to one of those all-too-hard-to-find behavioral sleep specialists, who tallies up how much time that person is sleeping every 24 hours, on average. Then, the dissatisfied sleeper adjusts their time in bed to that number. If they were, for instance, spending nine hours in bed each night, but only sleeping for six and tossing and turning for three, they'd start going to bed later, getting up earlier, or both, thus trimming their time in bed down to six hours. The idea is to work with your body and what it's currently capable of, rather than clinging to the wish for longer sleep when it just isn't happening. Cutting back on time in bed works partly through mild sleep deprivation, which makes you sleepier. And when you're sleepier, it stands to reason, you sleep more easily. (Just note that if you need to drive or operate heavy machinery, you should cut back on time in bed gradually, and track your daytime sleepiness. It's never safe to drive while sleepy.) As treatment progresses, if the once fitful sleeper finds they're sleeping longer and more easily, they extend their time in bed to match their newfound sleep ability. By doing this, you can actually train your body over time into getting more sleep, with small gains in average length of sleep at the end of a course of traditional CBT-I, and with sleep time continuing to increase, for some, even weeks or months after the end of active treatment. If you find yourself balking at the idea of cutting back on your time in bed abruptly, there's a gentler way called sleep compression. This cuts back on time in bed more slowly, by 15 to 30 minutes each week, until sleep improves. With sleep compression, you can also stop, or reverse course and extend time in bed again, if you start to feel sleepier during the day. In one study, sleep compression and sleep restriction racked up similar gains in sleep satisfaction at 10 weeks. So, you cut back on time in bed. But the hypothetical patient who was getting six hours of sleep still wouldn't force themself to stay in bed for six hours no matter what. This brings us to the next behavioral prong of CBT-I: changing your habits for getting in and out of bed. Since 1972, when the pioneering sleep psychologist Richard Bootzin first proposed these instructions in a case report, they have been thoroughly investigated in different variations. Two key instructions are: Don't go to bed until you feel sleepy (even if it's already your new, sleep-restricted bedtime), and don't stay in bed if you can't sleep. If you can't sleep, try a relaxing low-light activity like reading, or listening to music or a podcast in the living room—and then return to bed when you're ready. The classic thinking is that this breaks the association with bed as a place of frustration, and restores it as a cue for slumber. It's also possible that it simply encourages the kind of sleep that's most likely to succeed—that is, going to sleep when you're sleepy, rather than trying to sleep whenever you just really wish you could fall asleep. (If you can't or just don't want to get out of bed, by the way, a couple of older studies do suggest that doing the same kind of relaxing low-light activities in bed when you can't sleep might still help with insomnia, at least to some degree.) No matter when you end up going to bed, or how often you wake up during the night, CBT-I also teaches patients to get up at (roughly) the same time each day. And there are two reasons why this matters. First, the later and the more often you sleep in, the more you tend to push back your body's internal biological clock—known as the circadian clock—which pushes your body's internal bedtime later too, making it harder to fall asleep when you want to. The second reason is that getting up later and keeping your bedtime the same shortens the length of your day, which means less time awake building up your drive to sleep, and less success at bedtime. If you woke up at noon, for instance, and then tried to go to bed at 6 p.m., you just wouldn't have built up enough sleep drive yet. And the same idea applies to more subtle shortening of the span of daytime wakefulness, like waking up late or napping. CBT-I works well. But no single treatment works for everyone, and no treatment is free of hazard. In particular, those at high risk of falls should skip getting out of bed when they can't sleep. And again, please don't drive if you're experiencing daytime sleepiness. Sometimes, too, insomnia is the harbinger of a different problem. So if your sleeplessness is unrelenting, you're waking up at night gasping for air (a symptom of sleep apnea), or if you have the strong urge to move your lower limbs at night (an ailment called restless legs syndrome), please look up a sleep specialist who can help get you a diagnosis and hopefully some relief. In the meantime, tell your friends about CBT-I. More people should know.
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Little-known trick that can help keep bedrooms cool at night as 30C heatwave hits Scotland
THERE's a little-known hack to keep your bedroom cool at night as temperatures rocket to a sweltering 29C this week. Householders are being advised to keep their attic loft hatch open over the coming days amid the heatwave. 2 2 The Met Office is warning that parts of Scotland could reach over 30C tomorrow, with uncomfortably balmy overnight temperatures. Glasgow is forecast to be 30C tomorrow, but the weather service anticipates some western areas of the country could reach a scorching 32C. Sunday will remain warm but the mercury will drop off across Scotland. As the temperatures are set to reach sweltering highs, it's important to know how you can keep cool. Often, excessive heat can keep us up at night, taking away our important sleep. But there's a little tip that can help with that. By leaving your attic hatch open in the leadup to a heatwave, you can actually reduce the amount of hot air held in your bedrooms that prevents you from sleeping. When a house heats up, the warm air most often gets stuck on the second floor. This is where most bedrooms are, so they tend to be the hottest. By opening your attic hatch, you are allowing air to rise higher, leading it away from your bedrooms. Full list of TRNSMT bar prices revealed as pints are hiked up This can help to bring the overall temperatures down, allowing you to sleep peacefully. This was found by experts at the University of Salford's Energy House 2.0, which is home to the most expansive climate simulation chamber in the world. They have partnered with Barratt Redrow to explore how households can combat the hot summers brought on by global warming. Oliver Novakovic, from Barratt and David Wilson Homes, said: "The country is seeing more frequent and intense weather extremes due to climate change. "As part of this, there is an increasing risk of overheating, even during cooler summers, which has a detrimental effect on wellbeing. "We're working with the University of Salford to test new technologies alongside simple methods of reducing overheating and improving air quality, so the homes that are built in the next 10 or even 50 years can cope with rising temperatures." He also recommends keeping curtains and windows closed until temperatures outside start to cool down to prevent hot air entering, and switching to low-energy LED lightbulbs as they produce less heat. Keeping electricals off is a win in two ways, as not only does it reduce heat buildup, but it can also bring down your energy bills. And if you have to use bigger appliances like washing machines and dryers, try to use them when it's coolest outside to prevent more heat building up.
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
I'm a qualified weather girl & here's 5 ways to hack the heat at night – avoid freezing cold showers & do these instead
A QUALIFIED meteorologist has shared five ways to beat the heat at night. So as temperatures in the UK rise, if you're too hot and are struggling to sleep, you've come to the right place and will need to take notes. 7 7 7 7 Ishani Mistry, a qualified weather girl who posts daily London weather reports on social media, has revealed her top tips to sleeping easy during warm nights. Posting online, the young woman revealed the five things you'll need to do to combat feeling 'gross and sticky' at night. So if you've been tossing and turning the last few evenings, you'll need to listen up. The importance of prep First things first, Ishani stressed the significance of 'prepping' before you go to sleep. She advised: ' Keep all your blinds and your curtains shut during the day to stop the sunlight from coming in and heating up your room, and then in the evening when the sun isn't as strong, open up your blinds and your curtains and your windows.' Ishani acknowledged that doing so will let the cool air come in and circulate around your room. Eating right Secondly, Ishani explained why eating a 'cold and light meal before bed' is key. She recommended: 'There is no point in chefing up a five course meal using a stove or an oven because it's just gonna make you and your house hot.' Not only this, but she claimed that 'heavier meals take more energy to digest ', which in turn, will 'make you hotter.' Grab a hot water bottle Thirdly, Ishani, who doesn't work for a news channel but instead keeps her followers up-to-date with weather news, highlighted why a hot water bottle could be your best pal as temperatures soar. Five ways to keep babies cool in the heat She shared: 'Fill up a hot water bottle with really cold water and if you're feeling extra hardcore you can freeze it.' However, Ishani claimed that freezing hot water bottles can cause damage to the rubber, so she advised doing this additional step 'at your own risk.' Ditch the cold showers Not only this, but instead of a freezing cold shower, Ishani shared why a lukewarm shower before bed is key to staying cool. She stressed: 'Not a cold [shower] because your temperature will drop really quickly and your body will frantically try and warm up again.' How to keep cool in hot weather Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. The weather pro claimed that a lukewarm shower will decrease your body's temperature gradually, without triggering such a chaotic body heat response. Handy fan hack And finally, Ishani shared a message to all fan owners. 'If you've got a fan, put a bowl of icy water in front of it and it will blow that into you when you're sleeping and cool you down 10 times more,' she concluded. Social media users beam The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly racked up 97,600 views, 1,607 likes and 87 comments. Social media users were thankful for Ishani's advice and many eagerly raced to the comments to express this. This was genuinely useful. Never considered freezing a hot water bottle TikTok user One person said: 'Best advice, thank you!!' Another added: 'Excellent advice.' A third commented: 'TikTok is so full of people posting s**t, but this was genuinely useful. Never considered freezing a hot water bottle!' Meanwhile, others revealed their handy hacks to keep cool in summer. One user beamed: 'I put the bed sheets in the freezer.' A second chimed in: 'I use a wet towel over me and a fan.' Whilst someone else penned: 'Ice pack under your neck. Wrap it in a kitchen towel. Amazing.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 7 7 7
The Sun
29-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Home Bargains' £4 essential hailed as ‘lifesaver' on sticky summer nights – & it's £11 cheaper than Argos version
TRYING to sleep when you're hot and uncomfortable can feel like an impossible task. Thankfully, Home Bargains shoppers can now pick up a budget buy that will keep them cool all night long. So if this weekend's high temperatures have left you struggling and waking up in a pool of sweat, it may be time to switch up your bedding. It's time to put away your winter duvet and make the most of this budget cooling buy. The Home Collections Cooling Mat/Pillow is available for just £3.99 from the bargain retailer. Product details According to the manufacturers, this buy will help you "beat the heat" this summer. "This nifty little mat is perfect for easing pain and discomfort, thanks to its self-cooling gel," the product description read. To use, simply pop this mat/pillow in your fridge for about hour. When you're ready to cool down, take it out and enjoy the refreshing relief wherever you are. Watch Dyson's Hot+Cool air-purifying fan in action – including 'sleep' mode As well as saving you from a sticky night's sleep, this buy can also help to relieve pain and discomfort from injuries or heat. It can be placed inside pillows or placed on a seat, wherever you need it in the hot weather. This mat has self cooling inner gel, designed to react to your body temperature and absorb excess heat. And the portable size means it can be used at the office or in the car on hot summer days. A similar item can be found from Argos, but with a much higher price tag. The Silentnight Restore Cooling Gel Pillow Pad is currently available for £15. That means savvy shoppers can save a whopping £11 by opting for the Home Bargains buy. Other cooling hacks Experts recently revealed the exact position to keep your door at during hot nights for the perfect sleep. And another quick trick will instantly cool down your home without costing you a penny. Plus, more surpising ways to keep your bedroom cool during the summer heat. Health experts have also revealed tips to help you sleep better in the hot weather. More Lidl summer buys You can spruce up your decking this summer with a handy middle aisle buy. And another bargain buy from Lidl is perfect for a day at the beach. Or if you're jetting away this summer, Lidl is selling a dupe of a popular suitcase. And you can transform your summer garden with the latest flowers to hit the middle aisle.
The Sun
23-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Keep cool all night long with the genius hot water bottle hack & 3 other warm weather tips you need to try
THE hot weather is always welcome in the UK, and while it's fun during the day, the nighttime is another story. Trying to sleep in the heat is near impossible, and you end up spending most of the night tossing and turning in a sweaty mess. 2 2 Fortunately, many people have tips and tricks to stay cool while snoozing and they've been gracious enough to share them. With hot weather expected later this week, you'll want to take note of them. One hack that kept coming up from users on Mumsnet was to use a hot water bottle, yes, even in the summer. One wrote: " In praise of the cold water bottle. "It's just a hot water bottle filled with cold water, but it's so helpful when it's really hot. "I've had the first one of the year tonight." Many agreed that the hack was vital to staying cool in the summer. You simply fill the water bottle with a small amount of cold water and stick it in the freezer until frozen. Then you want to place it at the bottom of your bed to keep you cool all night long. However, you shouldn't use the same hot water bottle for hot water in winter and freezing in summer, as it can weaken the rubber. Aldi is selling a 'rechargeable' essential for just $9.99 – shoppers say they'll be 'wearing one all day' this summer If you can, buy two hot water bottles and change them for each task. Others were also quick to share their cheap hacks to keep cool at night as well. One wrote: "Second this, I usually just wrap it in a very light cloth. "Between that and stealing the cat's cooling mat it's very comfortable!" How to survive six weeks of school summer holidays IF you are struggling with the six week summer holidays, you've come to the right place... BATTLING BOREDOM: Despite hours of activities and playdates, if your kids are already complaining there's nothing to do, parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi says: 'Don't feel you have to organise every second of the holidays. Kids benefit from boredom and learn to make their own fun. 'Boredom can trigger creative and imaginative play but you need to encourage kids to get used to not being told how to spend their time. 'Ride out the pleas of boredom. Counter it with comments such as, 'What do you think you could do?' and maybe have a list of 'I'm bored' activity ideas on the fridge.' SCREEN OVERLOAD: It's tempting during the holidays to rely on a digital babysitter but don't let them gawp their whole summer away in front of a screen. Liat says: 'It's unfair to expect older kids to power down but it's important to set some ground rules. 'Set family tech rules together. If you're often distracted by your phone, follow the rules too. Maybe tell the kids they aren't allowed any screen time until they've done set chores, some exercise, or a board game. 'Are there times when you'd like to ban screens completely? Perhaps during dinner or when they have friends over to visit. 'Tech is a battleground for parents, but you have to set boundaries. Stand firm and be prepared to be unpopular.' TOO MUCH TOGETHERNESS: You love your kids, but being with them 24/7 can be exhausting. Do not feel guilty if you need a bit of downtime. Liat says: 'If you're juggling work and household tasks as well as occupying the kids, it's normal to start feeling overwhelmed or jaded and in need of some peace. 'If you can't afford or don't want to send your kids to all-day camps, look for free kids' workshops so you can get on with jobs or have a break for a couple of hours. 'Seeking a spell of quiet every now and then doesn't make you a bad parent — in fact it will probably make you more positive and enthusiastic when you are with the kids.' SCHEDULING CONFLICT: Schedules can go out the window during holidays, but late nights and early mornings can mean tired and unhappy children. Dr Tamara Bugembe, paediatrician and founder of says: 'Children get grumpy, test boundaries and become challenging when routines are broken. 'Sticking to some kind of routine during the holidays is a good idea. 'We release hormones at different times of the day and when regular meal times and bed times are broken, it causes dips and peaks in mood. 'Holidays are about having fun but an early night once or twice a week will make everyone happier.' EXCESS ENERGY: Make sure kids get out in the fresh air to tire them out — and make them healthier and happier. Dr Bugembe says: 'Sunshine also tops up vital vitamin D levels which helps improve bone strength and energy levels in children. Our levels run low in winter so let the kids stock up in warmer weather. 'Letting them run around in shorts and a T-shirt is the best way to top up. Make sure they're wearing sun cream, get outside and have fun. 'Encourage them to try healthy habits such as cycling and walking. They'll hopefully get hooked and want to carry them on when the weather gets colder.' "A couple of years ago I discovered the dog cooling mats, stick it under the sheet and enjoy full body coolness," another added. You can purchase these cooling mats, which don't have to go in the freezer or fridge beforehand for as little as £5 from Wilkos. Parents also offered their tips, and made the most out of the hundreds of muslin clothes they had lying around. One mum said: "I give the kids a damp, very well wrung out muslin when it's horrible and hot. "They are magic for cooling you off, and if they warm up you just need to flap them about a bit and they cool down again! "Perfect for getting to sleep with."
