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SLEEP PROBLEMS
Student Wellbeing Information for young people
Sleep is as essential to us as food, air and water. Sometime in your life you may have difficulty sleeping – many people do – and sleep problems, or insomnia can be very common among young people. While it is not an illness and is in no way life-threatening, sleep problems (insomnia) can be very distressing, frustrating and exhausting, at worst it can make you feel like you’re going crazy. Sleep disruption can happen when you feel emotionally overwhelmed, when we are worried, or if we replaying difficult events over in our mind. Any heightened emotions, or stress may significantly interfere with our sleep. Lack of sleep robs you of needed rest, making concentration and enjoyment more difficult. The most common cause of insomnia is a change in your daily routine or stress. E.g., travelling, exams, work stress, changes in your normal hours, disruption caused by eating, exercise, or leisure, relationship conflicts etc It is important to get your sleep patterns under control. We all need to rest. However, it often takes some time to get problematic sleep under control and rarely can this be done overnight! Avoid screens before bed Electronic devices emit ‘blue light’ and this stops the production of our natural sleep hormone. Try to avoid screens two hours before bed. Or switch your device to night mode and reduce the screen brightness.
Environment Ensure your bedroom is a place you would like to fall asleep in. A quick tidy up, some clean sheets and a cosy bed is a good place to start Make your bedroom a place you just associate with sleeping Try to make sure your room is dark and quiet. Maybe think about using an eye mask and earplugs if needed If you’re struggling to sleep in your room, perhaps try another one if you can Write down your worries Try giving yourself a five minute ‘worry time before you start your bedtime routine. Write down all the things on your mind and leave them on the paper. Establish a bedtime routine A routine may help you wind down your mind before sleep. A warm bath or shower with some relaxing music, a milky drink or camomile tea, with an easy to read book before bed is a good idea. Before you try to sleep, try a relaxation mediation www.headspace.com
Take things easy Don’t do any strenuous exercise two hours before bed, but some gentle yoga may help relax you. Keep busy Try to keep yourself as busy as you can with activities in the day to ensure you are tired at bedtime. Try a talking book Some people find a talking book helpful (sometimes it helps if it’s a boring one so you don’t stay awake to hear it!) Bedtime playlist Make yourself a bedtime playlist of music you find helpful to fall asleep to. Some people find instrumental music most helpful. Avoid caffeine Avoid caffeine four to six hours before going to bed.
Use grounding techniques If you struggle with nightmares and find yourself awake, try a grounding technique to help calm you. E.g. five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Relaxing sounds You may find relaxing sounds such as waves may help you drift off. If it’s not working get up If you are struggling to go to sleep, try for about an hour. But if it’s not happening, get up, try reading for a bit and then return to bed. Do this as many times as needed. If you worry about not being able to sleep it’s less likely to happen. Don’t be alone Don’t be afraid to wake someone else up in the house to be with you if you are struggling.
NHS self help guides
Useful Resources: www.teensleephub.org.uk www.healthforteens.co.uk
Student Wellbeing is based in the SAFEGUARDING & WELLBEING HUB which is on the Ground Floor of the North Wing in Room N17 If you are struggling with your wellbeing please drop by and arrange to chat with one of the student wellbeing coaches. Alternatively, you can speak to your tutor who can refer you.
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