The document by Donna Helliwell at design your sleep, details the 3 key factors that regulate sleep

2. Notre histoire
à nous
CHLOÉ ET ALI
Rencontre : 1985 Couple : 1989 Mariés : 1993
Aux années à venir !
I so wish someone had explained them to me
when I suffered from insomnia. So, here they are!
SLEEP PRESSURE
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
HYPERAROUSAL
1.
2.
3.

3. R
SLEEP PRESSURE
This is basically an animo acid called adenosine
that accumlates in our body as the day progresses
and produces sleepiness. It is at it's lowest in the
morning and highest at the end of our day.

4. R
SLEEP PRESSURE
So, for our sleep pressure to be at its optimum level
at bedtime, it's obviously important to maintain
regular wake up times. If we get up at 11am for
example and then expect to be able to sleep at
11pm, it's highly unlikely we'll get to sleep easily-
we have only been awake 12 hours and our sleep
pressure will be too low.
If we get up at 7am however, by 11pm
sleep pressure will be high. We have been
awake for 16 hours so it's much more likely
we'll feel sleepy (as long as we are not
stressed or being impacted by light late at
night - that's another story so read on!)

5. CHLOÉ ET ALI
Rencontre : 1985 Couple : 1989 Mariés : 1993
Aux années à venir !
How else can we increase sleep pressure
& ensure a good night's sleep?
Avoid caffeine - caffeine masks the build up of adenosine in the
brain, preventing sleepiness to appear (despite being physically
and mentally tired). If you have sleep difficulties, keep caffeine to
a minimum and consume only in the morning ideally.
Avoid naps - sleep pressure is our sleep appetite. If we take a
nap in the afternoon, it's just like having a snack - we reduce
our hunger for sleep at night.
Exercise before 5pm- physical exertion stimulates the hormones
that promote sleep. It reduces stress and anxiety & facilitates
the build up of sleep pressure, allowing the sleepy feeling to
appear at bedtime! Do aerobic sports ideally during the day to
avoid increasing your body temperature at night and producing
hormones that are not conducive to sleep.
Our body naturally decreases in temperature
for sleep onset, so best not to interfere with that!

6. CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
We each have an internal biological clock that
regulates and sets the tempo for our physiological
processes throughout the day. This includes sleep,
digestion, & body temperature, amongst others.

7. Our wake time is the anchor in our sleep-wake
cycle, and daylight is the most powerful signal for
resetting our internal clock. Morning light sends a
signal to our brain which, just like a conductor,
orchestrates the physiological symphony of our
day. It tells our organs when to trigger the right
hormones and when throughout the day. If
everything is well orchestrated, i.e. if this circadian
rhythm is regular, we are typically at our best
physically and mentally.
Why is it important to keep
our internal clock in mind?

8. How to get our circadian clock ticking well
Get up at the same time every day (including
weekends), even if you didn't get enough sleep during
the night
Expose yourself to daylight/ light therapy lamp as
soon as you get up
Reduce your exposure to light at night to minimum
As much as possible maintain the same schedule
for your meals, sports, social and work activities
What factors weaken the circadian rhythm?
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Irregular meal times
- Light exposure in the evening (or
not enough exposure during the day
especially in the morning)

9. HYPERAROUSAL
This is basically our high stress levels. Everything
we think, feel and imagine is controlled by our
nervous system.
The fight-flight response is controlled by a part of
the autonomic nervous system, called the
sympathetic system. For simplicity's sake, let's call
the accelerator pedal of our body. We have our foot
on the pedal all day long, increasing our stress
hormones so that when we get to the red light at
bedtime we are unable to slam the brake pedal
down! Whereas, in reality we need to put the brakes
down gradually throughout the day so as to produce
the hormones that are conducive to sleep.

10. Physical exercise (at least 20 mins)
Relaxing activities throughout the day and evening
- integrate 5 mins in the morning and afternoon of
whatever helps you become calmer (even if it's
just a slight bit). Schedule it at regular times.
If you have negative thoughts around sleep,
identify them over a few days and try to interpret
them from another perspective: ie. "I'm not going
to sleep tonight" = "My sleep is going to get better
and better with time".
Create a morning and evening routine - this
provides security and stability and frees up your
time and mind
So how can we get those
stress levels down?
There are many ways, here are a few....

11. Notre histoire
à nous
CHLOÉ ET ALI
Rencontre : 1985 Couple : 1989 Mariés : 1993
Aux années à venir !
And if you're struggling with insomnia,
remember these key behaviours that will help
you get your sleep back on track
1. Get up at the same time each day
2. No clockwatching during the night (if it's not stressful for you)
3. Make your bed a space dedicated uniquely to sleep and intimacy
4. Get out of bed if you can't sleep - do something relaxing and boring
5. Only go to bed if you're actually sleepy
6. Make your bedroom a haven of sleep!
7. Avoid taking naps
8. Expose yourself to daylight early in the day
9. Reduce evening light exposure
10. Establish a morning and evening routine
If you want to know the scientifically-proven reasons
behind these recommendations please download my
e-book at www.designyoursleep.com
Any questions? -get in touch!