Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects between a third and 40% of adults across the UK. The condition, marked by persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep or poor-quality sleep, can leave those affected feeling fatigued, irritated, and struggling to function properly.
There are plenty of “sleep hygiene” tips that people attempt to follow in order to try and tackle the issue of insomnia, such as having a strict bedtime, cutting on caffeine, and avoiding screens before bed. However, some of these practices can actually do more harm than good for those with insomina, and Kirsty Vant, sleep therapist and researcher at the Royal Holloway University of London, has revealed exactly which “sleeping hacks” can actually make things worse.
The first thing she revealed was spending more time in bed.
She told The Conversation: “When sleeping isn’t coming easily, it’s tempting to go to bed earlier or lie in later, hoping to ‘catch up’. But this strategy often backfires. The more time you spend in bed awake, the more you weaken the mental association between bed and sleep – and strengthen the link between bed and frustration.”
Instead, Ms Vant recommends restricing you time in bed by going to bed “a little later” and waking up at the same time every morning, as it strenghtens “your body’s natural drive to sleep” and re-established bed as a cue for sleep rather than wakefulness.
The next thing the sleep expert tackled is the idea of completely avoiding screens. While she explained that people are often told not to use screens before bed, she says the advice “may be overly simplistic”.
She added: “Rather than banning screens entirely, consider using them strategically. Choose calming, non-stimulating content, use night-mode settings, and avoid scrolling mindlessly. A quiet podcast or gentle documentary can be just the right distraction to help you relax.”
Cutting out caffeine is a popular “tip” that people are often, and while stimulant does block adenosine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel sleepy, everyone processes it differently and so cutting it out completely “isn’t always necessary” but rather “understanding your individual response” is the key.
However, if you are sensitive to caffeine, Ms Vant recommends avoiding it later in the day.
Another key thing is trying to optimise sleep and becoming obsessed with sleep quality. The sleep therapist made note of the £400 billion-pound market of sleeping products that such as trackers and “sleep-promoting sprays”, which can actually contribute to a condition called orthosomnia – an unhealthy obsession with tracking sleep that causes anxiety and worsens insomnia.
She added: “It is important to remember that sleep is an autonomic function, like digestion or bood pressure. While we can influence sleep through healthy habits, we can’t force it to happen.
“Becoming obsessed with sleep quality can paradoxically make it worse. Sometimes, the best approach is to care less about sleep – and let your body do what it’s designed to do.”
The final thing thing Ms Vant tackled was the expectation of getting the same amount of sleep each night. The sleep therapist stated that healthy sleep isn’t a fix number of hours but rather that it is dynamic and responsive to lifestyles.
There are a number of factors that can impact sleep, such as stress, physical health, age, environement and various responsbilities like parenting.
However she explained “flexibility in our sleep has always been a survival trait” and that expecting rigid consistency from your sleep sets up unrealistic expectations. Some nights will be better than others – and that’s normal.”