The Tribune

By Bettyjoe Cooper

You might think wearing bed socks will put a damper on your love life, but the experts believe it encourages a good night’s sleep. The Global Council on Brain Health has reported the need to sleep well to stay mentally sharp in later life. Experts provided some recommendations to help the over-50s sleep better.

To prevent waking from cold feed they recommend wearing socks. They also suggest keeping the dog (and I would think any other furry friend) out of the bedroom. And allow 15 minutes of “worry time” before disconnecting from any problems.

They also suggest avoiding food, drink and booze for three hours before bedtime and avoid arguments at night. And as I’ve suggested before, keep smart devices out of sight and try to replace blue lights with a more orange, restful glow.

According to the council, which was established by AARP and Age UK, everyone should aim for seven to eight hours sleep each night. Although they noted that as people age, sleeping becomes more difficult. Long spells of poor sleep can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, falls and cancer.

Professor James Goodwin, chief scientist at Age UK, said: “Sleeping is something we all tend to take for granted, but we really have to wise up to the fact that getting the right amount of good sleep is crucial as we age, helping to protect us from all kinds of problems that can affect our brains as well as our bodies.

“The message is that in order to stay mentally sharp in later life – something we all care passionately about – take care of your sleep. This Global Council report on sleep contains some excellent practical tips, all of them based on the best, most up-to-date evidence available from right across the world. It points out, for example, that letting your dog or cat sleep on your bed at night might be nice for them but if they disturb you it would be much better to shut them out,” he said.

“In addition, many of us spend a lot of the day looking at screens on our phones, tablets and PCs, and then at the television in the evening, but to help us to sleep well it is better not to do any of these things once we get into bed.”

Weight loss, exercise and giving up smoking also helps sleep in the long term. Enjoying natural light outdoors is also important for sleep. But experts recommend that people don’t nap for more than 30 minutes during the day.

People who can’t sleep when they go to bed should move to another room until they feel sleepy again. This is so that the bed does not become associated with sleeplessness.

14 tips for a good night’s sleep

• If you are not sleepy, don’t stay in bed. Find a quiet space elsewhere and return to bed only when you feel tired.

• Don’t spend more time in bed than you need to. If you sleep eight hours, don’t stay in bed for 10 hours. Quality time is better than quantity.

• If you have cold feet, socks may be beneficial.

• Don’t engage in heated debates before bedtime.

• If you are worrier while in bed, set aside 15 minutes “worry time” to focus on the matters bothering you at night; it may help to reduce nocturnal worrying.

• Relax with therapies that include meditation and breathing as they can help to fall and remain asleep.

• Take note of your most comfortable sleeping position and environment. Try different positions and pillows to investigate how you lie most comfortably.

• If you take naps, limit them to 30 minutes in the early afternoon.

• Check with your healthcare provider if you think your health is suffering through lack of sleep.

• Keep smart devices and TVs, etcetera, out of the bedroom. Try to limit the bedroom for its intended use.

• At night, keep the bedroom dark and quiet. Use soft amber lighting in place of regular lights if you need to get up in the night. And replace white or blue lights with softer red or orange night lights.

• Maintain a bedroom temperature that helps you to fall and stay asleep.

• Keep disruptive pets out of the bedroom.

• Limit fluids and food three hours before bedtime.

• Bettyjoe Cooper is a self-published author and the founder of Brand New Mattress Company, a retailer of bedding products located in the Hummingway Plaza, Coral Harbour Road. Call 698 4609 for more information.