Effects of sleep on health
Sleep is necessary for good health and wellbeing. It is important for your brain function, emotional wellbeing and physical health.
Importance of sleep
Getting enough quality sleep helps support healthy brain function and maintains your physical health. For children and teenagers, sleep is important for their growth and development.
The amount of sleep you need will depend on your age. Most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Babies and toddlers will need about 11 to 17 hours of sleep.
Not getting enough sleep can affect how you think, behave and get on with other people. Ongoing poor sleep can affect your mental health and increase your risk of some health conditions.
Causes of poor sleep
Poor sleep can be linked to several conditions, such as:
- pain
- anxiety
- depression
- restless legs syndrome — a cramp or creeping feeling in the legs in the evening or at night
- sleep apnoea — when you have pauses in your breathing during the night
- insomnia — trouble getting to or staying asleep
- circadian rhythm disorders (for example, jet lag and shift work sleep disorder).
Sleepwalking and snoring are also common sleep problems.
Self care for poor sleep
Bedtime routine
Maintain a regular sleep pattern by going to bed and getting up at around the same time each day, including on the weekends.
- Your body has a natural clock, which will make you sleepy when you are ready for bed. Try not to ignore this.
- Going to bed too early may cause you to have disturbed sleep.
- Getting up at the same time every day helps to keep your body clock synchronised with what is going on outside.
- If you can stick to a fairly regular waking and sleeping time, your body will get used to it.
Take time to relax and unwind before going to bed. This will help destress and send signals to your body and mind that it is time to prepare for sleep.
Worrying about or planning the next day's activity is a natural thing to do, but can affect your sleep. Mindfulness activities can help with this.
Do not watch the clock or stay in bed if you are wide awake. If you are still awake after 20 to 30 minutes of trying to get to sleep, try sitting in another room for a short time.
For some people, following a bedtime restriction programme (sometimes called sleep restriction therapy) can be helpful. This involves reducing the amount of time you spend in bed, aiming for better quality sleep over a shorter time. You can then slowly increase your sleep time.
Sleep restriction therapy for insomnia and other conditions — Healthline
Other tips for your bedtime routine
Avoid using screens before bedtime. Brightly lit screens reduce your body's ability to produce melatonin. Melatonin controls your body's sleep pattern. While you might think you are using your screen to relax until you can sleep, your device or TV is actually keeping you awake.
Do not use alcohol to help you sleep. Alcohol may help you get to sleep but it has some bad effects. It causes:
- you to go to the toilet more
- you to wake up early
- disturbed sleep.
It also worsens snoring and sleep apnoea.
Limit caffeine in the evening. Coffee and tea are obvious caffeine-containing drinks, but colas and many other soft drinks also have caffeine. Read the labels.
Try not to nap in the evening. This reduces your body's need to fall asleep. If you usually have a daytime nap and it does not affect your nighttime sleep, you can keep doing this.
Sleeping environment
Make your bedroom as restful as possible. Remove distractions like TVs and portable electronic devices from the room.
Keep the bedroom quiet and dark, at a comfortable temperature. This is different for everyone, but generally falls within the range of 15 to 20°C. Make sure your bedding is comfortable too.
Try to avoid activities like studying or watching TV in bed to keep it associated with sleeping. Your brain makes connections between places (bedroom) and events (sleeping). You need to reinforce these.
If you have an uncomfortable pillow, mattress or pyjamas, changing them could help you sleep better. You spend around 8 hours in bed each night — you do not want to be uncomfortable.
During the day
Keep active. Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity is best, but even light activity can help you sleep better at night.
Try to avoid activities just before bedtime. Physical activity straight before bed stimulates your body and may make it difficult to fall asleep.
Alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes can disrupt your sleep. Try to avoid these, and avoid eating large meals within 2 to 3 hours of going to bed.
Getting sunlight in the morning and avoiding bright lights in the evening can help your body get into a better sleep routine.
Light is important for your body to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps make you feel sleepy. Sunlight early in the day is particularly helpful in synchronising your body clock.
If you work night shifts
If you regularly work night shifts, you may find it hard to get enough sleep during the day. In this case:
- try wearing dark sunglasses to reduce the sunlight on your commute home
- keep to the same daily routine if you can
- use ear plugs and eye masks to reduce noise and light in your bedroom
- use blackout curtains or put boards over the windows in your bedroom to block out sunlight
- avoid caffeinated drinks and food, and avoid alcohol close to bedtime
- having short naps can help.
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for insomnia is a short course of treatment. CBT is a type of talking therapy, or kōrero. It identifies thoughts, feelings and behaviours that cause poor sleep, and tells you how to change them. You can access this treatment from:
- a trained counsellor
- a psychologist
- a sleep therapist
- your healthcare provider
- an online course, such as Just a Thought.
Quit smoking
Quitting smoking not only brings many health benefits, it also gets rid of the stimulant effects of nicotine that contribute to sleep loss.
Take medicines as directed
Prescription medicines may cause you to be alert or sleepy. You should follow the instructions that come with them.
Do not vary the time of day that you take your medicine.
Do not rely on sleeping tablets to help you sleep. Sleeping tablets have a role when something is temporarily causing you to have trouble getting to sleep, but they are only a temporary fix. Some tablets may cause you to be a bit sleepy in the daytime, and when you stop taking them, you may get a rebound and find it harder to fall asleep.
When to see a healthcare provider
See your healthcare provider if you:
- have ongoing trouble sleeping after trying the self care options above
- wake a lot during the night
- consistently feel very tired during the day
- have trouble staying awake during the daytime
- snore severely.