![\"One](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/08\/23\/09\/3781DF1E00000578-3754217-image-a-2_1471940435982.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWe’ve all spent nights tossing and turning, praying sleep will come.<\/p>\n
But obsessing over our slumber could be letting us down, says sleep and energy expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan in her new book.<\/p>\n
Some one in three people in the UK are affected by insomnia and around one in ten of us now take some form of sleeping tablet, according to NHS figures.<\/p>\n
In a piece for\u00a0Healthista<\/a>, Dr Ramlakhan, who works at the Capio Nightingale Psychiatric Hospital, London,\u00a0says drugs are often unnecessary.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One in three people in the UK are affected by insomnia and around one in ten of us now take a sleeping tablet, NHS figures revealed (stock)<\/p>\n
If we change the way we think about sleep – counter-intuitively stop thinking about how much sleep we’re getting – we’ll be able to have a better night’s rest.<\/p>\n
From lying in on the weekend to avoiding taking naps, here she busts 10 unhelpful beliefs that people have about their sleep…\u00a0<\/p>\n
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1. I CAN CATCH UP\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n It often seems like the best idea to make up for lost sleep by sleeping longer in the morning if you went to bed late, or catching up on the weekends when you have the time, but Dr Ramlakhan urges the importance of a good regular sleeping routine.<\/p>\n \u2018The timing of your sleep is key because while you can catch up lost sleep to some extent you can\u2019t fully recover it,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n 2. I SHOULDN’T WAKE UP IN THE NIGHT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The average human wakes around 10 times every night, but what they shouldn’t do is check their phone, warns Dr Nerina Ramlakhan<\/p>\n Most people have experienced the fear that they are going to wake up several times resulting in a disturbed nights sleep but in reality it is natural to wake up during the night.<\/p>\n \u2018Sleep studies show that the average human being wakes approximately 10 times during the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘The theory is that this sleep-wake cycle evolved for our survival and safety: we come into a semi-conscious state to check that all is well and we are safe and then slide back into sleep,\u2019 says Dr Ramlakhan.<\/p>\n What you shouldn’t do if you wake up is check your phone or the time as these kind of actions are what keep you awake longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ultimately, the more you fret about waking up the longer you\u2019ll be awake.<\/p>\n 3. I NEED TO KNOW THE TIME<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Turn your click the other way to avoid looking at the time in the middle of the night and disrupting your sleeping pattern<\/p>\n Checking the time in the middle of the night can be very disruptive as it can often lead you to work out how many hours you\u2019ve slept so far and how much sleep you have left before your alarm goes off.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then you start overthinking about tomorrow \u2013 it\u2019s a vicious cycle. It\u2019s this kind of brain activity that could lead to you to lying awake for ages.\u00a0<\/p>\n This turns on your sympathetic nervous system (the part that deals with problem solving and focus) instead of your parasympathetic nervous system (the one you need on when you\u2019re sleeping as it promotes rest).\u00a0<\/p>\n Turn your alarm clock to face the other way and don\u2019t be tempted to check it if you wake up, just lie there feeling cosy and you\u2019ll be mote likely to fall back to sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n 4. IF I SLEEP BADLY IT WILL AFFECT MY BEHAVIOUR TOMORROW<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve all had a bad nights sleep before and a lot of us have experienced not being able to sleep due to feelings of nervousness or excitement.<\/p>\n We feel that we must get a good nights sleep to prepare for the big day ahead tomorrow, but Dr Ramlakhan recalls a time where she told a client to \u2018forget about sleeping\u2019 the night before an important event.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2019I once worked with a Premiership footballer, who felt worried the night before a big game for England.\u00a0<\/p>\n We assume we need a good nights sleep to prepare for the big day ahead tomorrow – but the less you worry about sleeping, the less it affects your performance, she says (stock)<\/p>\n ‘I advised him to forget about sleeping the night before a game and instead focus on resting in bed.<\/p>\n \u2018I also asked him to recall the number of times he\u2019d slept badly before a big game and still performed well the next day.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘He was able to remember several occasions when this had happened and this also helped to take the pressure of his sleep.\u2019<\/p>\n This proves that the less you worry about sleeping, the less it affects your performance.<\/p>\n 5. I NEED 7- 8 HOURS OF SLEEP TO FUNCTION<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Dr Ramlakhan said: \u2018If you wake up feeling refreshed after just five hours sleep then you\u2019re probably getting enough sleep for you\u2019<\/p>\n According to research conducted by The National Sleep Foundation in the US, the recommended daily allowance of sleep for 18 \u2013 64 year olds is seven to nine hours a night, but this doesn\u2019t mean you should panic if this doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n Obsessing over the amount of sleep you\u2019re having isn\u2019t healthy. Dr Ramlakhan believes you should listen to your own body.<\/p>\n \u2018If you wake up feeling refreshed after just five hours sleep then you\u2019re probably getting enough sleep for you.\u2019<\/p>\n \n 6. I SHOULDN’T NAP<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Many people avoid napping during the day due to the worry that they won\u2019t sleep at night or perhaps because they don\u2019t think they can sleep in the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Dr Ramlakhan strongly believes in napping and says that everyone can nap if they learn how to.<\/p>\n The benefits of napping for a short amount of time in a day include increasing focus because people shut themselves off from their thoughts and worries<\/p>\n ‘A nap doesn\u2019t necessarily mean a sleep. It just involves shutting your eyes, relaxing and letting your thoughts go.<\/p>\n \u2018I find napping can almost help to reprogram your body to rest, relax and let go. But napping must be done with caution.<\/p>\n \u2018If you are a good sleeper, then napping is not the technique for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘However, if your sleep is disturbed at night and you feel tired during the day, then powering down for 10 \u2013 20 minutes at some time between 2 and 4pm has a number of benefits.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n The benefits of napping for a short amount of time in a day include increasing focus.<\/p>\n This is because you are shutting yourself off from your thoughts and worries meaning that your mind is refreshed afterwards.<\/p>\n It prepares you for a deeper sleep later on, and as napping isn\u2019t solely about sleeping, it allows you to let go without stressing about not being able to get to sleep.<\/p>\n 7. I NEED TO TAKE SLEEPING TABLETS<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Don’t rely on sleeping tablets to help you get a good night’s rest – there are other ways<\/p>\n If you\u2019re struggling with sleep it is important not to believe that the only way to overcome it is by taking tablets.\u00a0<\/p>\n In her book, Fast Asleep Wide Awake, Dr Ramlakhan shares a four-part sleeping formula\u00a0to teach you how to sleep deeply and embrace life positively.<\/p>\n It helps you to shift your awareness, clean up your energy, create pure, deep sleep and create something more of your life by using tools and techniques based on Western science and Eastern practices.<\/p>\n 8. INSOMNIA RUNS IN MY FAMILY<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Insomnia is not a gene so technically does not run in your family, but you may have simply picked up some bad habits.<\/p>\n If you change your sleeping patterns then you will be able to overcome the sleepless nights.<\/p>\n If someone can change their sleeping patterns, they will be able to overcome the sleepless nights, according to Dr Ramlakhan<\/p>\n If you tell yourself your sleep problem can\u2019t be fixed, it probably won\u2019t be because you\u2019re in a constant battle with your mind so that nothing you attempt will work for you.<\/p>\n \u2018Stay open to the possibility that you can change your relationship with sleep \u2013 even if you don\u2019t entirely believe it at this stage,\u2019 say Dr Ramlakhan.<\/p>\n \n 9. SLEEP IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY EYES ARE CLOSED<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n You can be in the early stages of sleep without even knowing it. It\u2019s possible to be on your way whilst your eyes are still open.\u00a0<\/p>\n When you have been concentrating for too long or your brain and body is tired it can fall into a trance-like state called a hypnagogic trance.<\/p>\n This is a deep form of relaxation where you are able to develop information and stay sharp and focused as the working memory is refreshed.<\/p>\n It\u2019s possible to be on your way to sleeping while your eyes are still open, Dr Ramlakhan says<\/p>\n \u2018Sometimes we fall into a hypnagogic trance during the day. You might have noticed this when, for example, you\u2019ve been staring at a screen for too long, bombarding the brain with information,\u2019 says Dr Ramlakhan.<\/p>\n When this happens, the brain is trying to refresh itself and secure the information you\u2019ve taken in, making it easier to focus afterwards.<\/p>\n 10. IT IS USEFUL TO MEASURE MY SLEEP<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As we have learned above, the more we think about sleep in depth, the more likely our sleeping patterns will be affected for the worse, so this unhelpful belief is technically already answered \u2013 no, it is not useful to measure sleep.<\/p>\n Counting the hours could lead you to be more anxious about the fact you didn\u2019t get your eight hours.<\/p>\n \u2018To sleep well you need to let go, trust and relax and not measure, control or calculate,\u2019 teaches Dr Ramlakhan.<\/p>\n Fast Asleep, Wide Awake: Discover the secrets of restorative sleep and vibrant energy by Dr Nerina Ramlakhan was published by Harper Collins on August 11th and is available to purchase from Amazon for \u00a39.09.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This article originally appeared and is republished here with the permission of <\/span><\/span>Healthista<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We’ve all spent nights tossing and turning, praying sleep will come. But obsessing over our slumber could be letting us down, says sleep and energy expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan in her new book. Some one in three people in the UK are affected by insomnia and around one in ten of us now take some Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107459\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/08\/23\/00\/377F065900000578-0-image-m-43_1471906996010.jpg\")
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