Lack of sleep is something that affects about 30% of the population and is a growing problem in today’s fast and often chaotic world.
New research suggests that there is some hope for night owls by making a few simple lifestyle changes. A study found people who nod off at 2.30 am could bring their bedtime forward by 2 hours simply eating lunch at the same time every day, not eating after 7pm and maximising light exposure in the mornings. They need to go to bed 2 hours earlier and get up at the same time every day, and no caffeine after 3pm. That’s a whole lot of different changes, but start with one or two and spot the difference. According to the study, it not only helps night owls nod off, but can also ease depression and anxiety.
The research highlights the ability that we all have to take responsibility for our health and a few lifestyle changes could rapidly improve our sleep and mental health without the aid of prescription medicines, which often complicate matters by having their own side effects.
Night owls are thought to have body clocks that cause them to fall asleep and wake up at later times than normal, these sleep disturbances have been linked to all kinds of things including cognitive decline, decreased performance,and even early death.
Having tested the above methods with a range of people with sleep disorders the results were very positive, so if you can,try to make some small changes which could result in big benefits.