Sleep tips

Just over half of Kiwis say they never wake up feeling refreshed, while 25% report having ongoing sleep problems. Most adults need 7–8 hours of sleep each night and not having enough sleep can affect how you perform during the day and your personal safety. Not being able to get to sleep, or stay asleep, can be frustrating but the good news is there are things you can do to improve your sleep. A few tips for managing your sleep better are provided below or you can read about sleep in greater detail in our Te Kete Haerenga sleep resource and use a sleep tips tracker to record your progress in working towards better sleep.

Key points about sleep

• Poor sleep is a major cause of lost productivity and increases the risk of accidents and other illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory failure.
• Two of the most common sleeping problems are insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Insomnia is a condition where you have trouble sleeping or staying asleep for long enough and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is a condition in which you stop breathing while you are asleep.
• If you think your poor sleep is due to a sleep disorder, see your healthcare provider for advice. There are treatments available.
• If you are experiencing the effects of poor sleep, great improvements can be made by making a few changes to your daily routine and habits.

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So you can be more energetic and productive during your waking hours, here are some straightforward tips to help you sleep better at night.

1. Set your body clock

• Try to go bed and get up at the same time each day, including weekends, even if you have had a disturbed night's sleep.
• Your internal body clock and hormones that control sleepiness and wakefulness work best when you have a regular sleep routine.
• Keep your daytime routine the same, even if you’ve had a poor night’s sleep. Avoiding daytime activities because you are tired can reinforce your sleep problems.
• If you really need to catch up on sleep, it is better to go to bed earlier than normal and still get up at the same time as normal.
• Get out in bright light as soon as you wake up – light is the best regulator of your biological clock.

2. Be active in the day and avoid naps

• Regular day-time exercise improves sleep.
• Morning walks are a great way to start the day feeling refreshed.
• Avoid strenuous exercise within 3 hours before going to bed.
• Napping during the day can interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night.

3. Keep your evenings stimulant-free

• Don't smoke and avoid alcohol or caffeine-containing drinks late in the evening. Cannabis can also affect your sleep.

4. Reduce blue light exposure in the evening

(Royal Society, NZ, 2018)

• Blue light has a short wavelength that affects levels of melatonin (a hormone that regulates the sleep–wake cycle) more than any other wavelength does.
• This disrupts your body clock, causing poor sleep.
• If you use your phone or computer in the evening, switch it to night-time setting or, better still, turn it off.
• Use dim red lights for night lights – red light is the least able to affect your melatonin and change your body clock.
• If you work a night shift or use a lot of electronic devices at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters the blue/green wavelength at night. Read more about sleep and shift work.

5. Wind down at bedtime

• Include an hour of quiet time before bed such as reading, having a bath or listening to music. 
• At bedtime, make your bedroom dark, cool and quiet and ensure that your pillows, sleep surface and coverings are comfortable.
• Have a light snack before going to bed. Going to bed hungry can be distracting but avoid heavy meals within 2 hours of bedtime as this can interrupt sleep. 
• Drinking a warm glass of milk before bed may be helpful – milk has tryptophan in it, which acts as a natural sleep inducer. Read more about how food and drink affect sleep.

6. Prepare your bedroom for sleep

• Make sure you have curtains or blinds that are thick enough to keep out the light.
• Try to have the room at a good temperature, slightly cool is best.
• Make sure your bed is warm but don't leave the electric blanket on if you have one.
• Have a good supportive mattress and pillows.
• Change the sheets and pillow cases regularly as a fresh bed is more inviting.
• Bedrooms are for sex and sleeping so don't have a TV there.

7. Go to bed when you're tired

• If you go to bed at the same time each night, you should start to feel sleepy at bedtime.
• Try not to ignore this sleepy feeling by staying up, as this is your window of opportunity for sleep. 
• If you have things on your mind, try scheduling worry time during the day – write worries down, then let them go.
• Read a long boring legal document – bet you don't get to the end of it!

8. Get up again if you can't go to sleep

• If you can’t sleep after 20 minutes or so, get up and do something relaxing but not screen-based.
• When you feel too sleepy to keep your eyes open, try to sleep again.
• Don’t lie in bed getting frustrated.

9. Try relaxation techniques

• Meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation (alternately tensing and releasing muscles) can help to calm anxiety and racing thoughts.

10. Use an app

• Try an app or online sleep programme to support you to unwind and get into good sleep habits. See sleep apps for reviews of some common apps.

Learn more

Apps to help with sleeping Health Navigator NZ
Te Kete Haerenga – sleep Health Navigator NZ
Te Kete Haerenga – sleep tips tracker Health Navigator NZ
Te Hikuwai resources for wellbeing – sleep/moe Te Pou, NZ, 2022
Why sleep matters Healthy Sleep, Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School
Children – sleep for kids National Sleep Foundation (NSF), Sleep For Kids 
Tips for getting a good night's sleep Here to Help Canada
Good sleep habits Sleep Health Foundation, Austraila
Sleeping problems – an NHS self help guide NHS, UK 

References

1. Sleep problems Hauora: Māori Standards of Health IV, Otago University, NZ
2. Blue light has a dark side Harvard Health Publishing, US, 2018
3. Blue light Ministry of Health, NZ, 2019
4. Te kete haerenga – sleep Health Navigator NZ, 2022