How To Get Back To Sleep In The Middle Of The Night

WHAT WAKES YOU UP AT NIGHT AND HOW TO GET BACK TO SLEEP Noisy pets, restless kids, uncomfortable beds. There's no shortage of nuisances waking us up. And studies show that sleeping badly has become a widespread problem... 56% 49% AND of women of men are long-term poor sleepers POOR SLEEPERS ARE 3 TIMES 2 TIMES as likely to be unfocused as likely to suffer from low mood YET of people have never taken 49% steps to help them sleep What's disturbing your sleep? RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME SOLUTIONS Over 80% of people with RLS also suffer periodic limb movements (twitchy legs) while asleep Take a warm bath, or apply a hot compress to your legs to help relax the muscles Try massaging your legs or doing some light stretching or yoga before bed O YOUR KIDS NEEDING ATTENTION 8 SOLUTIONS Be consistent - if they try to hop in your bed, always escort them back to their room Gently phase out any sleep aids, such as pacifiers and stuffed toys, placing them where your child can't retrieve them without help MAMÎ tin 10 people say their children MATT disturb their sleep O SHARING A ROOM WITH YOUR PET SOLUTIONS 41% of pet owners are disturbed by pets sharing the bed Train your pets to sleep in another room- establish the bedroom as off limits at all times and stick to it Feed and let pets out earlier in the day to move their routines forward YOU OR YOUR PARTNER SNORING 1211 2222 SOLUTIONS As many as 1 in 4 people in England snore regularly Snoring can signal underlying medical conditions, so consult your GP if it's becoming problematic Try to sleep on your side, rather than your back, to alleviate gravitational pressure on the airway ANXIETY AND WORRYING A YouGov poll on mental health in the UK found that 1 in 5 suffer from anxiety most or all of the time Resist the urge to keep checking the clock - this will only heighten the anxiety of being awake Distract your mind with a mug of hot milk or watching traffic outside until drowsy again Tips for getting back to sleep Sometimes there's no obvious cause for waking in the night. If you're a restless sleeper, follow these smart tips to get back on track. Get up and do something Keep the lights low If you can't get back to sleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something low key such as reading or listening to music If you do get up, keep the lights down low. Also, avoid using backlit devices such as TVs, tablets and smartphones in bed Use relaxation techniques Start a sleep diary Relax your mind and body with some deep-breathing exercises or meditation Record your sleep patterns and habits and talk to your GP about them to see if you can devise a strategy for sleeping better Remember - regular, good quality sleep is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. Use these simple fixes to help you enjoy a more restful night's sleep, more regularly. To see a full list of sources for this infographic, go to: www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/get-back-to-sleep-infographic/ Sleep: Matters THE CLUB POWERED BY Dreams www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/ 11111