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Understanding Sleep
What is sleep?
We sleep to rest, to recharge, recuperate, and we know that we need it in order to function properly.
Our biological clocks are hardwired, following regular rhythms so that we sleep at night and be awake during the day. Our brains produce melatonin during darkness at night, to help us feel sleepy and drift off, with light inhibiting this melatonin production during daytime hours.
How much sleep?
It is important to get enough regular sleep each night, or we experience sleep deprivation which can have an impact on us physically and emotionally, with 7-9 hours of sleep being a recommended guideline. However, sometimes we need less or more sleep, depending on times in our lives or as a result of illness, or because we are just wired that way.
Some people are night-owls, others morning larks; some function quite happily on 6 hours sleep a night, others need 10 to feel rested; babies and children need significantly more sleep than the rest of us, teenagers are notorious for being unable to wake early, and we need less sleep as we age.
Sleep becomes an issue when we feel tired, unrested, experience symptoms of sleep deprivation, or when it has an impact on our wellbeing and affects our quality of life or ability to function as we usually would.
Sleep Disruption
Sleep issues can be temporary or intermittent, as a result of life changes or external stress, or resulting from jet lag or shift work; or they may be more long-term issues that may be a result of a sleep disorder.
Significant, ongoing sleep disruption can have an impact on physical and emotional health, so get support if you need it.
Supporting sleep
To regulate sleep and achieve quality sleep, it is important to pro-actively maintain good sleep hygiene.
If you believe you may be living with a sleep disorder, see your GP for appropriate tests or to access specialist sleep support at a sleep clinic. They will be able to rule out other reasons for your sleep disruption or sleepiness, and offer appropriate treatment and advice.
Sleep disruption can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing, so consider accessing emotional support, via counselling or CBT-i.
Please contact us to access counselling support through the Sleep Support Project.