Under a headline “Sleep – The cornerstone of athlete wellbeing” Psychiatry Times on 26 January this year referred to a number of interesting articles on this vital subject.

There are lots of myths and legends around sleep and what we need in today’s world.

The interesting finding from recent research indicates that professional athletes may require between 9-10 hours sleep each night, whereas for the rest of us a level of 5-7 hours is often sufficient. For those feeling smug about sleeping for 10-12 hours a day the studies over past years indicate that the longer you sleep on average the shorter your life span, so get more physically active through the day, and you will tend to find your sleep will settle back to 5-8 hours.

The recent Psychiatry Times article reminds us that “Sleep profoundly affects mental health,…during which the brain and body repair tissue, consolidate learning, and regulate neurobiological systems that are critical to mood and cognition…”

Practical tips for sleeping were given – as “evidence based strategies”.

1. A cool, dark and quiet environment.
2. Consistent head to bed and sleep, and wake up times helps.
3. Limit screen exposure in evenings.
4. Restrict nap times unless it is part of your plan.
5. Use physiological relaxation exercises before shower/bath/bed.
6. Avoid caffeine and limit alcohol in evenings.
7. Don’t just be “California sober”… if you have to ask it doesn’t apply to you…
8. Motto – be consistent – don’t try to be perfect….