Sleep Better Live Better
Healthy sleep is needed for the restoration and recovery of body systems, with lack of sleep increasing the risk of falls, hypertension, obesity and diabetes. A restriction of 4- or 6-hours sleep can also erode performance in vigilance and memory tests. After 19 hours awake performance is equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%, after 24 hours awake it is 0.10% (over the limit in UK). Sleep also has a significant impact on pain levels. Sleep deprivation, even by just a few of hours, can negatively impact self-reported pain perception and pain threshold.
Many people struggle getting enough good-quality sleep, normally due to factors such as stress, worry/anxiety, pain or simply poor habits/routines. Check out the leaflet below for advice on what to do both before bed and whilst in bed to improve the quality of your sleep.
Adults require 7-9 hours sleep within a 24-hour period. The best way to determine how much you require is to go to bed when you’re tired/sleepy and get up in the morning when feeling refreshed without an alarm. Consistency with sleep routines is key. Try to avoid varying your sleep/wake times by more than 1 hour, even on days you're not at work/don't need to get up. If you do need to nap during the day try to limit the length to less than 30 minutes.
Key Message:
Getting enough good-quality sleep is important for the restoration and recovery of the body and the management of pain conditions.
If you would like further advice on how to improve your sleep quality, or would like help managing pain-related sleep disturbances, give us a call on 07702 847036 and speak directly to a Senior Chartered Physiotherapist or click the ‘Book Online’ button below to make an appointment. Both in-clinic and virtual video appointments are available.
The Nebula Physio and Wellbeing Team