This week''s tips on how to sleep better
05/12/2011
Scientists are forever researching ways to get the population sleeping better, and it seems the past week has been no exception. Here's our round-up of the latest hints and tips on how make your time in bed count.
Exercise more
Too many people are not getting their daily recommended amount of exercise, which could be impacting more than just their waistlines. Scientists writing for the Mental Health and Physical Activity journal claim that by getting active for 30 minutes a day, sleep quality can be improved by as much as 65 per cent.
Rather than reaching for the sleeping pills, the experts believe that getting out and about makes people more tired when their heads hit the pillow, as well as reducing the amount of leg cramps they suffer.
Dream on
Dreaming may have more of a positive impact on your general wellbeing than you realise. Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley discovered that while a person is sleeping, they are processing information relating to traumatic experiences, therefore reducing stress.
During rapid eye movement sleep, memories are reactivated, the team explained, which enables thoughts and feelings to be put into perspective. They can also be connected and integrated, allowing you to make sense of difficult events.
Addressing these problems sub-consciously could improve your sleep in the long run, so getting a good night's rest could do more than just improve energy levels.
It's in your genes
A theory has emerged this week that the amount of sleep you need depends on the presence of a certain gene - ABCC9. Experts from Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich found that people with two copies of this gene spend less time in bed than those with just one.
This may go some way in explaining how some people can run for hours on a short amount of shut-eye, while others will struggle on less than eight or nine hours.
Interestingly enough, the same gene can be found in fruitflies, which exhibit characteristics not dissimilar to humans.
Breathe easy
Asthma sufferers can often find it harder than most to doze off, especially as their symptoms can be made worse by lying down. However, help is at hand in the form of a new temperature controlled laminar airflow treatment, the details of which were outlined in the journal Thorax.
The gadget works by creating a slightly cooled airflow in the person's breathing area as they sleep, therefore displacing any warm air. This makes it easier to breath, as well as removing potential irritants such as dust mites and pet hairs that can make breathing difficult.
