Goodnight Britain

Fascinating program on BBC One last night - Goodnight Britain - exploring the sleep problems of 5 volunteers, each of whom suffer from a different sleep condition.

Comic at times (Sheila's Victoria Sponge making at 3am) to tragic at others (Gwen hasn't had a good night's sleep for 30 years), it's a real eye-opener (sorry) into the problematic world of sleep.

Having made the diagnoses last night, in Episode 2 - on at 9pm tonight - the sleep experts Dr Kirstie Anderson and Dr Jason Ellis will create a set of treatment plans to help the volunteers sleep better.

Will make for highly interesting viewing...if you missed it, you can catch up on the BBC iPlayer.

Sleep tight.

How to Beat Insomnia & Sleep Easier

The Guardian recently published a good article on how to sleep easier it quotes tips from Professor Colin Espie of the University of Glasgow Sleep Centre as follows :

1. Recognise that "sleep is not a lifestyle choice, it is a biological inevitability. It is very, very powerful, and we need to get it working for us: a person not sleeping well has first and foremost to allow sleep to do its work. Sleep is a process of letting go."

2. Sleep's achilles heel, however, "is our world. Most sleep problems are psychological obstacles that we put in sleep's way. Like all things we should do automatically, when we deliberately try to do them we screw up. Adopt a relaxed, confident approach to sleep, not a neurotic, panic-stricken one. Recognise there's a right and a wrong kind of effort. Your role model is the 'careless sleeper'."

3. Go to sleep only when you feel sleepy and, if anything, shorten the time you try to sleep: "A lot of people put good sleep beyond the achievable simply because they are so worried about not sleeping. Their sleep becomes frayed, even more broken. If I try to read a book in bed, it's never very successful because I go to bed when I'm ready to sleep. It's counter-intuitive, but a shorter sleep often means a better quality of sleep."

4. Put the day to bed long before putting yourself to bed. "A racing mind – what happened today, what's on tomorrow, what will the future hold? – is a huge obstacle to sleep. So take time before bed: go through the day, think about tomorrow, put things in their boxes, make a list. Set your mind at rest."

5. Learn to value relaxation, and if necessary learn specific relaxation techniques. Above all, "Don't try too hard." But, of course, for some that is easier said than done.

Great article and some nice tips. For the full article click here

St Mungo's - helping people to sleep better

I recently came across this London- based homeless charity that I thought is doing a highly worthwhile job and wanted to let more people know about it.

At St Mungo's they say "Our mission is to house, support and care for vulnerable and excluded people who either have been, or are at risk of, sleeping rough and homelessness"

From their 2011/12 review they helped provide housing support to 4500 people and their street outreach team helped 430 people off the streets and into accommodation.

Given our core belief here at The Snoozery that everyone deserves a great night's sleep we think they are doing a great job.

If you want to find out more you can click here.