Good sleeping habits

The sleep clinic

Do you feel as if you’re sleeping less? In a recent US study more than 60% of women over 60 said they had insomnia at least a few times a week.

"There’s no right amount of sleep at any age," says Dr Andrew Cummin, director of the West London Sleep Centre. "But if you’re sleepy during the day, you’re probably sleep deprived." Most adults sleep around 7.5-8.5 hours a night, Dr Cumin says. But people sleep a little less as they get older and it's not known why.

But whatever your age, there are a few things you can do to make a good night's sleep more likely.

Tame your tea habit

Do you have a cup of tea before bed? Even a small amount of caffeine can affect the quality of your sleep for hours after you drink it. Sleep experts advise you cut out all caffeine after lunch, so swap tea for a milky drink.

In this section

No more naps

Your post-lunch sleep could be what’s keeping you awake at night. "You may nap in the day and wonder why you don’t sleep at night," says Dr Cummin. Try cutting out the nap.

Eat earlier

"Your digestive system likes to go to sleep at seven o’clock," says Dr Beata O’Donoghue, who specialises in sleep medicine. So try to have your main meal in the middle of the day and eat lightly at night. Some foods - raw fruit, salad, high fat, spicy and rich foods - aren’t good for sleep, while steamed veggies, fish, pasta and stir-fries are easier to digest. Dr O’Donoghue also advises you avoid food containing fats called trans fats, contained in cakes and biscuits (look for the words ‘hydrogenated fat’ on the label) as they raise the acid levels in your stomach, and stop you sleeping so well.

Check your snoring

Snoring often gets worse with age. Loud snoring can also be a symptom of sleep apnoea, where your airways become blocked and you stop breathing, which wakes you up. See your GP if you or your partner thinks this may be happening to you.

Drink less

Alcohol may make you drop off quickly, but it also can leave you wide awake at two o'clock in the morning, as breaking down alcohol produces chemicals that stimulate you. Booze also relaxes your muscles, making you more likely to snore, which can make your sleep lighter and less refreshing. It's easy to drink more than you should. You can check how much your drinking with out interactive drinks calculator (see useful links).

(Don't) see the light

The hormone that helps you sleep, melatonin, is produced when it’s dark, but as we age we produce less of it. Not going straight from bright lights or a TV screen to bed can help you sleep when your head hits the pillow. Try spending some time in dim lights before you turn in. Also, make sure your bedroom is very dark, and not too cold or warm.

Get regular

Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Routine helps give you more sound sleep. Before bed, wind down slowly. Going straight from TV, housework or bills is definitely going to keep you awake, so leave yourself at least an hour to relax, maybe having a bath or listening to music. If you only need, for example, seven hours sleep a night, consider whether you’d rather stay up late (and sleep midnight to 7am) or go to bed early, and be up before the dawn chorus (go to bed at 9pm, and you may be awake by 4am). Trying to lie in bed between 9pm and 7am (10 hours) may prove frustrating.

Wake up, get up

"If you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t lie in bed gritting your teeth, hoping to get back to sleep," says Dr Cummin. Instead, get up and read in a low light until you feel sleepy again. Then go to bed, wait 10 minutes, and if you’re not asleep by then, get up again.

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