Olympian Greg Rutherford shares his top tips on sleep
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Everyone needs different amounts of sleep. On average adults need seven to nine hours, while children need nine to 13 hours. Toddlers and babies need 12 to 17 hours of sleep, every day. People with insomnia will regularly find it hard to go to sleep, and can wake up several times during the night and lie awake at night. Fortunately, some drinks can help people with their sleep.
If you have insomnia for less than three months, it is called short-term insomnia. Insomnia that lasts three months or longer is called long-term insomnia.
For most, sleep problems tend to sort themselves out within about a month, according to the NHS.
The NHS says: “Most people experience problems with sleep in their life. In fact, it’s thought that a third of Brits will have episodes of insomnia at some point.”
Healthline says that tart cherry juice “may be a safe and effective way to treat insomnia and increase the amount of sleep you get each night”.
It explains: “That’s because tart cherries are naturally rich in melatonin, a hormone responsible for sleepiness.
“Moreover, tart cherries contain a good amount of tryptophan and anthocyanins, two compounds that may help the body create melatonin and lengthen its effects.”
It says that research shows that supplementing with tart cherry juice increases levels of melatonin and helps “improve sleep quality and duration”.
Indeed, it notes that in one study, participants suffering from insomnia drank either 16 ounces (480 ml) of tart cherry juice or the same amount of a placebo juice each day for two weeks.
It says: “The cherry juice increased sleep time by an average of 85 minutes.”
The Sleep Foundation says: “Tart cherry juice may be able to help. Studies suggest that consuming tart cherry juice leads to better and longer sleep.
“Tart cherry juice’s positive effect on sleep is likely due to tryptophan and melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep hormone secreted at certain times of day to help the body transition to sleep.
“Tryptophan helps the body produce melatonin, therefore it is essential to a good night’s sleep.”
People who smoke also tend to take longer to fall asleep, wake up more frequently, and often have more disrupted sleep.
Caffeine and alcohol can stop you falling asleep and prevent good quality sleep. Therefore, it is recommended that people cut down on alcohol and avoid caffeine close to bedtime.
Caffeine can be found in other sources too. These include:
- Tea
- Some fizzy drinks
- Chocolate
- Energy drinks
- Some pain relievers.
Caffeine interferes with the process of falling asleep, and also prevents deep sleep.
“Some people are naturally lighter sleepers or take longer to drop off, while some life circumstances might make it more likely for your sleep to be interrupted, like stressful events or having a new baby,” the NHS states.
If poor sleep is affecting your daily life or causing you distress, you can talk to your GP.
The NHS says how we sleep and how much sleep we need is different for all of us and changes as we get older.
Electronic devices, including computers, televisions, smartphones, and tablets, all emit strong blue light. When you use these devices, that blue light floods your brain, tricking it into thinking it’s daytime. As a result, your brain suppresses melatonin production and works to stay awake.
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