The Tribune

By Bettyjoe Cooper

Counting sheep may not be the sleep aid we’ve been led to believe it is. We’ve heard the stories that eating cheese late at night gives us nightmares, and that counting sheep helps us get to the land of nod.

Studies have shown that poor sleep leads to a range of illnesses, including diabetes and depression. But many of the things we know about sleep are simply wrong.

Sleep and insomnia expert Dr Tania Ahern tells the truth about those sleep myths.

She said: “We all want to sleep well and get up ready for the day ahead and in our quest to do so over the years we’ve created so many myths. We wanted to share these with people so they can stop worrying about unnecessary problems and focus on fixing the underlying problem.”

• I don’t dream

Just you don’t remember your dreams doesn’t mean you didn’t dream.

Studies show that we dream about four to six times every night. Our dreams become longer as sleep progresses, ranging from about four minutes in early sleep cycles up to 30 minutes later on. The ability to recall our dreams depends on which sleep state we wake from, with REM dreams being easier to recall than non-REM dreams.

• We all need eight hours of sleep

It’s true we all need a good night’s sleep to function well. But not everybody is the same. Children need more sleep than adults and some people need less sleep than others. Generally, adults should sleep well for between seven and nine hours.

• Teenagers are lazy

It’s not how it seems! Scientific evidence shows that sleep rhythms in teenagers are delayed during puberty due to hormonal changes. As a result, their natural sleep pattern is to go to bed later and get up later. But they need about nine hours sleep a night.

Schools that have implemented a later start time in the morning have found improvements in academic performance. Daytime sleepiness and rates of depression among their teenage peers also improved.

• I can make up for lost sleep at the weekend

Most of us go to bed later and sleep in at weekends. This can lead to “social jet lag”. The change in sleep pattern disrupts the natural fluctuations in body temperature, which delays the onset of sleep. In turn, this leads to Sunday night insomnia leaving you feeling tired on Monday morning.

• Bathe in hot water before bedtime

It may feel nice to have a nice soak in the hot tub before cosying up in bed, but our body temperature needs to lower for us to get to sleep.

Our body’s circadian rhythm, which influences our core body temperature, is linked to the sleep-wake cycle. In the evening, the heat loss that occurs from our skin promotes sleepiness. So a hot bath will prolong the time it takes for the body’s core temperature to drop. A warm bath about one hour before bedtime may well assist the process of heat loss; it is all about timing!

• Take sleeping tablets for a good night’s sleep

Studies have shown that sleeping tablets increase average sleep time by 25 minutes. Though they can get you to sleep quicker, the amnesic effect means that you may not remember waking up during the night. Long-term use of sleeping tablets can also impact your health.

• Alcohol will help me sleep

Booze will get you sleeping faster, but it has a significant impact on sleep quality and quantity.

It brings on deep sleep but suppresses REM (rapid eye movement or ‘dream’) sleep. Once the alcohol has worn off, the effect is reversed with more awake periods and lighter sleep.

• Good sleep must be unbroken

The desire to sleep in a single eight-hour block is a modern development. Before we had artificial light, our ancestors used to sleep in two four-hour blocks. In the time between the blocks they would socialise for an hour or two.

A recent study subjected eight volunteers to 14 hours of darkness every day for a month. After a few days, their sleep pattern reverted back to the two sleep phases, like our ancestors!

• Eating cheese before bedtime causes nightmares

Certain types of food are the reported cause of bad dreams. But one study revealed that it may be our emotional attitude to food that is at fault.

In the study, people with a healthy diet and longer intervals between eating tended to have more pleasant and vivid dreams. Those with uncontrolled or emotional eating habits were more prone to bad dreams.

• Counting sheep will get you to sleep

Scientists have debunked this advice.

A team of psychologists at Oxford University carried out a study of 50 insomniacs. They divided the volunteers into three groups with a different bedtime routine. The first group counted sheep, the second group imagined a pleasant scene such as a holiday, and the third group could do their own thing.

The group thinking happy thoughts got to sleep 20 minutes earlier than usual. The group counting sheep took 40 minutes longer to get to sleep than usual.

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