While for many of us the end of daylight savings is barely noticeable, for those who suffer insomnia or are sensitive to sleep issues, this small change can be a waking nightmare. We spoke to Veli Solyali, a sleep specialist from Get Well! East Sydney, to discover the secrets to a dreamy night’s sleep.
RESCU: What are the 5 essentials to a good night’s sleep?
Veli Solyali: 1. THE correct bed—Probably the most important factor in a good night’s sleep is your bed – we spend a third of our lives in there! Take time to select a mattress that suits you (and your partner). Also invest in good, comfortable bedding and a pillow that is right for you
2. Get into a routine—Having a routine bedtime and number of hours of sleep each night trains your body to be ready for bed and to be ready to wake up.
3. Exercise—Having a healthy lifestyle that incorporates daily exercise is a key part of a good sleep, so I encourage all of my patients to make time for exercise. A walk in your lunchbreak counts!
4. Quit Smoking—In addition to the clear health benefits to this tactic, many smokers don’t realise how much smoking can affect your sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep, and smokers can actually experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it even harder to sleep.
5. The bedroom is for sleep—You would be surprised how many people use their bedroom as a place to eat, watch TV, work on the laptop or listen to loud music. The bedroom should be a place to relax, so save your bed for love and sleep.
RESCU: Why does a change in time-zone, such as the shift from daylight savings, disturb people’s ability to get a good night sleep?
Veli Solyali: Because even though your brain knows that the time on the clock has changed, your body’s internal clock doesn’t. My main tips would be to change the clocks and watches in your house before you go to bed on Saturday night. Then, don’t sleep in on Sunday; if you normally wake at 9am, get up at 9am on Sunday as normal.
RESCU: What are the most common causes of sleeping problems?
Veli Solyali: The most common causes are stress and anxiety. This can come from work, family life and more, so it is really important to try and identify where stress is coming from in your life and address it accordingly.
RESCU: What’s the best way to break the cycle of insomnia?
Veli Solyali: Break your habits! If your current routine is not promoting a good night’s sleep, do something different and make changes.
Lots of people find it helpful to write down before bedtime all of the things that they plan to take care of for the next day, so that they are getting it out of their heads and onto a sheet of paper. Going to bed with the mind ‘buzzing’ is a common cause of insomnia.
RESCU: How does what you sleep on affect your ability to get a good night’s sleep?
Veli Solyali: Choosing a mattress is not only the most important purchase for your bedroom, it’s the single most important purchase in your home. We spend over a third of our lives in bed – getting the right comfort and support is critical to getting a good night’s sleep. Take the time to test a mattress before buying, go back more than once if you need to, seek advice from a sleep expert, not the retailer, and talk to your partner and make sure that ultimately, the decision is 100% yours.
If you are keen to invest in a new mattress, Veli can help you find the ideal mattress to suit your spinal health requirements, performing specific posture and mattress firmness tests to find the best fit for you. All Bedmaster mattresses are available to try and test at Get Well! East Sydney, Darlinghurst.
For more information visit: https://www.getwelleastsydney.com.au
