From stylist.co.uk
About me
Age: 32
Occupation: editor
Number of hours sleep you get each night: approximately 8
Number of hours sleep you wish you got each night: I’m happy with 8, although I do always struggle to get up in the morning, even after a good night.
Any officially diagnosed sleep-related problems (insomnia/sleep apnoea): no
Do you grind your teeth/have nightmares: I grind my teeth.
Do you measure your sleep in some way (e.g. using your phone or wearable): no
How much water you drink on average per day: about 2.5 litres.
How much caffeine you drink on average per day: one cup of tea max, but I try to avoid caffeine and drink decaf coffee (and decaf tea if I have more than one).
How much exercise you do on average per week: not as much as I should! I do have a dog though, so I always walk for an hour every morning, often longer on weekends.
Day 1
It’s Friday and my partner is away for the weekend, so I’m having a quiet night in with the dog. I finish work at 5.30pm and take the dog out for a 20-minute walk (she had a longer one this morning so isn’t very excited to go out). I have dinner about 7pm and then get into bed to watch some TV.
I intend to go to bed earlier but end up watching the new series of Married At First Sight until 11.30pm. I set my alarm for 7am and anticipate it taking me a while to get to sleep (I always struggle when my partner is away), but I set the timer on my audiobook for 45 minutes and I’m asleep before it turns off.
I wake up at about 2am but manage to get back to sleep quite quickly until my alarm wakes me up at 7am. I usually don’t set a weekend alarm and rarely sleep in beyond 8am. I lie in bed until 7.30am and listen to the radio before getting up and showered.
I don’t walk the dog as I’m going to be out all day and she’s coming with me, so I just get dressed and then we walk down to the station for the train at 9.30am, grabbing a coffee on the way (I forgot to order decaf so the caffeine makes me feel jittery). I don’t have breakfast as I’m meeting my mum and sister for brunch.
Day 2
I get home from my day out about 5.30pm and have a quiet night in. I’m in bed by 10.30pm and listen to my audiobook. Again, I set the timer for 45 mins and I’m asleep before it turns off.
I wake up naturally at 7am but stay in bed until 8am. I get up and take the dog for a walk for about an hour before getting back to make breakfast.
Day 3
I’ve been painting my spare room all day but stop at 6pm to have dinner at and a shower. My partner is home now, and we’re both tired so go to bed at about 9.30pm. I only set my audiobook timer for 30 minutes tonight.
My Monday morning alarm goes off at 7am and I find it difficult to get up. I got woken up by something at 3am and struggled to get back to sleep. Usually, my partner is better at getting up in the morning than I am, but he’s tired too, so we end up snoozing the alarm longer than we should.
Once we’re up, we quickly take the dog to the beach before getting back, having a bowl of porridge and starting work at 9am.
Day 4
I finish work at 5.30pm and make dinner straight away. More painting needs to be done so we have a quick dinner and then get to work for a couple of hours before I shower and get ready for bed. There’s football on TV tonight, which my partner loves to watch (me not so much), so I read until about 10.30pm then get into bed.
Day 5
My alarm wakes me at 7am and I get up straight away and take the dog out as I’m going into the office today and need to catch my train. Once I’m back I have a quick shower and get ready for the day before having a decaf coffee and a slice of toast. My partner then drops me at the station just after 8.30am and I start work on the train.
I get home at about 7.30pm and have dinner and watch TV. I’m in bed by 10.30pm.
So, what does it all mean? Sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan shares her thoughts…
“According to your diaries you seem to be getting enough sleep – eight hours most nights – and don’t seem to have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep, the two most common sleep problems,” the sleep expert and physiologist Dr Ramlakhan says. “Despite this you still wake up feeling tired most mornings. It’s hard for me to say exactly what’s causing the tiredness, but I have some suggestions.
“It’s important to aim to sleep for eight hours or so every night but it’s not just a numbers game. We need to be getting deep, refreshing sleep – the kind of sleep that restores us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually so that we wake up with good energy for whatever lies ahead in our day.”
She continues: “Our energy levels are not only dependent on the quality and quantity of our sleep but also many other important lifestyle factors such as nutrition (you don’t eat breakfast, but perhaps you should: see here for my five non-negotiables for good sleep), movement, healthy support, good work/life balance and boundaries with technology and more. Being a perfectionist – a key trait of those who grind their teeth at night – is also a big drain on energy levels.
“Energy also comes from inspiration and happiness – I want to ask you what is making you happy? What lights you up? What are you looking forward to? These are all huge sources of energy and their absence can be draining. There’s nothing like having a strong sense of purpose to make you spring out of bed in the mornings.
“On a practical level, if the tiredness persists it might be worth a trip to your GP for a blood test to measure your thyroid function, vitamin D and iron levels.”
https://www.stylist.co.uk/health/sleep/restorative-rest-tips/854846
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