If you’re a victim of disturbed sleep, you could be in luck—one expert may have solved the mystery of why you can’t nod off.
Sleep scientists have long suggested banning all technology before bed, cutting out caffeine and having the same number of fixed hours kip every night as three simple ways to combat insomnia.
But now, one sleep researcher at Royal Holloway University of London has claimed these are not effective ways to ensure people get enough shuteye.
According to Kirsty Vant, five common hacks could even be making people’s insomnia worse.
When finding it difficult to nod off, it can be tempting to go to bed earlier or lie in later hoping to ‘catch up’.
‘But this strategy often backfires,’ she said.
‘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,’ she added.
Instead, people should go to bed a little later and wake up at the same time each morning.
Trendy sleep trackers are fuelling an increase in cases of orthosomnia—an obsession with sleeping correctly, experts have claimed
‘This strengthens sleep pressure—your body’s natural drive to sleep—and helps restore the bed as a cue for sleep, not wakefulness,’ she told The Conversation.
Equally, scientists have often urged people to ditch screens before bed because the blue light they emit suppresses melatonin—a hormone produced naturally in the body that plays a crucial role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
This kind of lighting can create sharp contrasts and shadows, which can strain vision, they argue.
In the evening, it can signal to your body that it’s still time to be alert, throwing off your natural wind-down process, contributing to physical and mental exhaustion.
However, ‘lying in the dark with nothing to occupy your mind can create the perfect storm for anxiety and overthinking, both of which fuel insomnia,’ Ms Vant said.
‘Rather than banning screens entirely, consider using them strategically.
‘Choose calming, non-stimulating content, use night-mode settings, and avoid scrolling mindlessly.’
Likewise, if people are sensitive to caffeine it is ‘wise’ to avoid later in the day.
Likewise, if people are sensitive to caffeine it is ‘wise’ to avoid later in the day, Ms Vant advised
Cutting it out altogether ‘isn’t always necessary’, she advised. Instead, ‘understanding your individual response is key’.
According to a recent sleep survey, around one in nine women in the UK—roughly 4.5 million—now use a sleep or health tracking app or device such as a watch to provide insights into their sleeping habits.
Sleep patterns are then presented on the app via diagrams that detail the minutes spent in the three sleep stages—light, deep and REM, with alerts often issued if users fail to reach the target of a specified number of nightly hours.
But trying ‘too hard to optimise sleep’ is fuelling an increase in cases of both insomnia and orthosomnia—an obsession with sleeping correctly, Ms Vant claimed.
‘Sleep is an autonomic function, like digestion or blood 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,’ she added.
‘Sometimes, the best approach is to care less about sleep – and let your body do what it’s designed to do.’
Expecting to sleep for a fixed number of hours every evening too, may be raising the risk of suffering insomnia, she said.
According to a recent sleep, around one in nine women in the UK—roughly 4.5 million—now use a sleep or health tracking app or device such as a watch to provide insights into their sleeping habits
‘Expecting rigid consistency from your sleep sets up unrealistic expectations. Some nights will be better than others – and that’s normal.
‘Healthy sleep isn’t a fixed number of hours—it’s dynamic and responsive to our lives.
‘Factors like stress, physical health, age, environment, and even parenting responsibilities all affect sleep,’ she said.
‘Insomnia is common and treatable—and no, it’s not your fault.’
People often take around 10 to 20 minutes normally to nod off after turning off the lights, the Sleep Foundation say.
Last year, a study found that around one in six Brits suffer insomnia, yet 65 per cent never seek help for their sleep problem.
The poll of 2,000 people, by The Sleep Charity, found nine in ten experience some sort of sleep problem, while one in two engage in high-risk or dangerous behaviours when unable to sleep.
Poor sleep has been linked to a number of health problems, including cancer, stroke and infertility.
Experts have long advised that waking up during the night does not necessarily mean you have insomnia, which figures suggest affects up to 14million Brits.
Still, sleep deprivation takes its own toll, from irritability and reduced focus in the short term, to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
According to the American Sleep Association, nearly 70 million Americans also have a sleep disorder.