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Dr Michael Mosley's tips for good sleep hygiene

A good night’s sleep is essential for a healthy brain and body. So why do so many of us struggle to sleep well?

In his new book Fast Asleep, Dr Michael Mosley explains what happens when we sleep, what triggers common sleep problems and why standard advice rarely works.

 

Sleep hygiene dos and don’ts
 

DO:

  • Try some of our recipes – eating more fibre and fermented foods will help build a sleep-friendly biome which can significantly boost your chance of a good night’s rest.
  • Try time-restricted-eating (TRE). Start with doing 12:12. That means not eating for 12 hours, for example between 8pm and 8am. Try to finish your evening meal at least three hours before you go to bed and avoid snacking before going to sleep.
  • Try cutting out all alcohol and cutting down on caffeine for a week and see if that helps.
  • Remember to fill in your sleep diary.
  • Get out of bed if you can’t go to sleep and only return when you are tired.
  • Practise the breathing exercises, during the day as well as the night.
  • Expose yourself to bright light, whether outdoors or via a light box, for at least 20 minutes first thing in the morning.

 

DON’T:

  • Have a TV in your bedroom. 
  • Leave your phone beside your bed where you will be tempted to look at it.
  • Eat in bed! I met a woman who kept the drawer beside her bed stuffed with chocolate and wondered why she was sleeping so badly.

Get cooking and fermenting!

Feeding up your microbiome by eating more fibre-rich and fermented foods is an important part of this programme, so take a look at our recipes and see which ones you fancy trying over the coming weeks. If your diet isn’t currently fibre-rich, introduce these foods gradually as otherwise you will start producing a lot of gas! 
You can buy fermented foods in the shops, but making your own sauerkraut is relatively easy and very rewarding. Just bear in mind that it will take time to mature. 

 

Sort out your bedroom 
Ensure that your bedroom is a place where you sleep and have sex, nothing more. So: 
• If you have a TV in your bedroom, take it out. 

• Replace any bright lights with bulbs that are softer and more diffuse. 

• If you like the idea of music or white noise to fall asleep to, now is the time to get everything set up.

 

How’s your mattress?

As a rule of thumb, you should replace your mattress every seven to ten years, but the life expectancy of a mattress varies considerably, depending on how good it was in the first place and how much of a pounding it has had. The main thing to watch out for is sagging. Take the sheets off and have a good look to see whether there is an obvious dip. If there is, a mattress topper will provide extra cushion and support and will be much cheaper than a new mattress. 

 

What sort of pillow is best?
In theory, you should replace your pillow every couple of years. To test if it is time for a new one, try folding it in half and see if it springs open. If it doesn’t, it probably won’t be providing a lot of support for your head and neck. 
If you do decide to replace it, what sort of pillow should you buy? According to the UK National Sleep Foundation (NSF) that depends on how you sleep.
People who sleep on their back will benefit from thinner pillows ‘which help to limit stress on the neck’. Stomach sleepers need a really thin pillow, or no pillow at all, to keep the spine straight and minimise stress on the lower back. For side sleepers (the most popular position), a standard pillow will do, though they might consider ‘placing a pillow between their knees or thighs to help maintain spinal alignment as they sleep’.
 
Keep it dark
Finally, do make sure that your room is cool, dark and quiet. If you have a clock, put it away, out of sight. Your mobile should, ideally, be switched off or placed face down on a table that is out of reach of your bed. You might want to invest in decent curtains or blackout blinds, particularly if you are a shift worker, though a sleep mask will be a good deal cheaper.
 

This is an edited extract from Fast Asleep by Dr Michael Mosley.

Fast Asleep

How to get a really good night's rest

By Dr Michael Mosley

Can’t sleep? Who better to deliver the recipe for a peaceful night based on groundbreaking sleep science than the bestselling author of The Fast 800, The Clever Guts Diet and The 8-week Blood Sugar Diet.

A good night’s sleep is essential for a healthy brain and body. So why do so many of us struggle to sleep well?

In Fast Asleep, Dr Michael Mosley explains what happens when we sleep, what triggers common sleep problems and why standard advice rarely works.

Learn More