Did You Know?
- The average sleep duration for adults is 7-9 hours per night, teenagers require 8 to 10 hours sleep and children need between 9 and 14 hours sleep.
- It usually takes less than 30 minutes to fall asleep at the beginning of the night
- It is normal to wake up once or twice during the night. In other words, it is unrealistic to expect to fall asleep immediately on getting into bed or to never wake up at all during the night. Even the best sleepers in the world don’t achieve this!
- You will have a night now and then when it takes you a long time to get to sleep. This is often triggered by a stressful event and will usually pass after a night or two.
- You will have a night now and then when you find it difficult to get back to sleep after waking in the middle of the night.
Sleep Tips:
- Establish a sleep schedule by deciding on a fixed wake up time each day. A fluctuating schedule keeps you from getting into a rhythm of consistent sleep
- Prioritize sleep – Calculate a target bedtime based on your fixed wake-up time and do your best to be ready for bed around that time each night.
- Sleep adjustments – make small, step-by-step adjustments of up to an hour or two so that you can get adjusted and settle into a new schedule.
- Follow a nightly routine – allow 30 minutes of winding down time before bed; unplug yourself from devices at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime; try to keep away from bright lights because they can hinder the production of melatonin (your sleep hormone); use meditation, mindfulness, paced breathing, and other relaxation techniques to put you in the right mindset for bed; if after 20 minutes you haven’t fallen asleep, get up and stretch, read, or do something else calming in low light before trying to fall asleep again; and be consistent with your sleep routine each night.
- Help your body during the day to be ready for sleep at night by: get daylight exposure as sunlight is one of the key drivers of circadian rhythms; be physically active as regular exercise makes it easier to sleep at night; limit your alcohol intake especially later in the evening; avoid stimulates such as nicotine and reduce consumption of other stimulates such as caffeine later in the day; avoid eating heavy evening meals and consume them earlier in the evening; and build a link in your mind between sleep and being in bed, it’s best to only use your bed only for sleep with sex being the one exception.
Effects from not getting enough sleep
- Burnout
- Anger issues
- Anxiety and excessive worry
- Impaired memory
- Reduced capacity to cope with life stressors Depression and Mood Disorders
- Reduced alertness during the day
- Increased feelings of panic
- Reduced concentration
- Relationship difficulties
- Reduced work efficiency
- Loss of motivation
- Slower than normal reaction time
- Reduced decision making skills
If you feel stuck and continue to experience the effects from not getting enough sleep, reach out to our expert psychologists and we can start getting you on track.
Who is Thriving Minds Psychology
Thriving Minds Psychology Clinic located in the heart of Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast. Our team of psychologists offers counselling and psychological services for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families.
In addition to sleep we can help with:
- Depression
- Anxiety & Stress
- Perinatal & Parenting
- Emotional dysregulation
- Trauma
- Self esteem
- and more….
