Advice about sleep

Not getting enough sleep one or two nights can be rough, but it isn’t dangerous. We make up for the lack of sleep on the other nights, regardless of when we fall asleep. Sleep problems are very common, something that almost everyone experiences at some point.

Are you currently in a stressful period right now? Is there anything that is particularly worrying you or are you partying more than you should? For example, alcohol, coffee, tea and energy drinks can all harm your quality of sleep. Irregular habits, social media, training and studying late into the night can affect how you fall asleep, as well as the quality of your sleep.

Something that might work better than counting sheep is to have a sleep routine. An routine before bedtime should be altered to work for you. Your brain will learn what this behaviour means and that it is time for you to go to sleep.

Something that is generally effective is to start relaxing a while before going to bed. Maybe you'll turn off all screens at least an hour before going to bed and leave your cell phone outside the bedroom.

You can also try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekend and if you've slept poorly. Others feel that exercise and being active during the day helps them with their sleep. Maybe make sure you get exposed to daylight during the day and try dimming the lights inside one hour before bedtime, so your bedroom is dark when it is time to sleep.

Additional advice

• Do not go to bed until you feel sleepy.
• Make sure the temperature is cool in the bedroom.
• Make a to-do list of what you need to do the next day. Planning in advance makes it easier to relax. Also, have a notepad and pen next to the bed and write down if you start thinking about things you want to remember.
• If you have trouble falling asleep get up after 15-30 minutes. Try to do some quiet, monotonous activity until you start feeling sleepy end then try and go to bed again.
• Avoid taking naps during the day. Taking naps often makes it harder to fall asleep in the evening.