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13/01/2022

How listening to music could help you beat insomnia
In our hectic world, a good night’s sleep is worth its weight in gold when it comes to improving physical and mental well-being. Much more than a basic method of energy conservation, sleep is a state during which muscle and bone are generated and repaired, and memories and learning systems are updated. Sleep also allows the body and brain to clear out the toxic byproducts of the day’s waking activity that might otherwise build up and cause harm. In short, good sleep is a cornerstone of human health.

Sadly, not all of us are blessed with the bounty of a good night’s slumber after a long and often tiring day. Around 30% of adults experience chronic insomnia at some point in their life – where sleep is disrupted for more than a month. Estimates are even higher in older populations and those who experience regular stress.

Insomnia can be devastating, and has been linked to cognitive deficiencies – such as memory lapses, psychological problems including mood and anxiety disorders, and long-term health concerns including obesity and dementia. The most severe cases of chronic insomnia can even increase the risk of mortality.

The cost of insomnia goes well beyond just health. According to the National Sleep Foundation, insomniacs are two to four times more likely to have an accident – with over 72,000 traffic accidents a year in the US alone linked to sleep deprivation. Insomnia also costs US companies an estimated $150 billion in absenteeism and reduced productivity, every year.

Given our need for regular and deep sleep, it is no surprise then that people with insomnia often reach for the medicine cabinet. Pharmacies in the UK regularly dispense more than 15.3m prescriptions for sleep aids. But this is not the safest route to a good night’s slumber, as the use of over the counter and prescription sleep aids can lead to harmful side effects, dependency and withdrawal.

Music for sleep?
Research has shown that listening to “self-selected” music – music of your choice – can actually shorten stage two sleep cycles. This means people reach restful REM sleep – the restorative part of our sleep – more quickly.

In the study, students who listened to 45 minutes of music before bedtime for three weeks saw a cumulative positive effect on multiple measures of sleep efficiency with similar effects reported in older citizens in Singapore. Following all this evidence, the NHS now recommends “listening to soft music” before bedtime as a method to prevent insomnia.

With all this in mind, our research unit, along with colleagues from the Sleep and Cognition Laboratory at the University of Lincoln and Goldsmiths, University of London, has embarked on a new music sleep project, to find out what people listen to when they are nodding off – and why people believe music helps their sleep.

Entering the land of nod could be easier with music as your guide. Ollyy/shutterstock
The first phase of our music sleep survey has been completed by 651 people, who have told us a great deal about the music that helps them to sleep. We discovered the top rated composer of sleep music in our sample is Johann Sebastian Bach. He was followed by Ed Sheeran, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Brian Eno, and Coldplay.

Aside from those few top rated artists, there was an enormous variety of individual choices – with 14 different genres and 545 different artists named. And it is this data which will give us the basis to examine the features of effective sleep music. Using computer programs we will be able to pin down the consistent musical features that support sleep among these many diverse musical sounds.

Face the music
We also found out a lot about the reasons why people are turning to music in the first place. And they are varied. In our research, people highlighted the importance of music for blocking disruptive external (such as traffic) and internal (like tinnitus) sounds, for filling uncomfortable silences, and providing a sense of companionship and security.

This suggests that a one size fits all approach to music for sleep is unlikely to suit all insomniacs, because people are tuning into so many different types of music for so many different reasons.

Sound asleep. Africa Studio/Shutterstock
The next step for our research will be to expand our survey to cover as many populations and cultures as possible. We will then test the music that people report to be consistently effective at different stages of sleep using advanced sleep recording techniques.

Our aim is to develop personalised music selection technology, combined with advice on music sleep strategies, as a complete package for people who need to restore their sleep to normal for the sake of their health, quality of life and well-being.

Until then, the best advice we can offer when choosing music to put you to sleep is to trust your own musical choices over generic “sleep” playlists. You know best what you are looking for in a bedtime track – based on what you like and what you need from the music at the time. And in the near future we will be armed with the necessary evidence that will allow us to move from this “instinctive approach” to a more informed and optimised application of music as an effective aid in the battle against insomnia.

13/01/2022

Babies don’t need sleep coaches – but sometimes their parents do
Many new parents are often surprised by just how much their baby sleeps – waking only to feed. But once the novelty wears off, it is the waking, not the sleeping, that often causes parents the most problems.

It’s well-known that newborn babies turn their parents into sleep-deprived zombies for the first few months of parenthood. But in many Western societies, we suggest to new parents there is something wrong with their baby’s night-time behaviour. People will enquire whether the baby is “good”, or “sleeping through the night”, or “in a routine” – as if the answers to these questions are important indicators of future moral character.

In reality, they are thinly-disguised interrogations about parental competence, designed to reinforce cultural values about parental authority, regulation of biology, and the control of children.

And as a result, most parents don’t discuss their infants’ sleep with others, and when they do, they lie. While behind closed doors, anxious evenings are spent searching the internet for information on when babies ought to be “sleeping through” and whether their baby has a “sleep problem”.

Sound asleep
Young babies rarely have sleep problems – but parents may perceive their babies’ sleep to be problematic if it doesn’t conform to “parentally convenient” schedules.

Before widespread internet access, parents voraciously consumed books with titles like “How to help your baby sleep through the night”. These days, things have moved on – and for a fee, parents can purchase Skype consultations and personalised sleep plans.

These are delivered by sleep consultants, coaches and counsellors, who may offer a wide range of services to parents of babies aged under six months – and even to newborns. These range from structured bed-time routines to “bed-time fading”. This is where an adult gradually shifts an infant’s bedtime from the time he or she naturally falls asleep, to the time the parent prefers their baby to fall asleep.

‘I can sleep just fine, thank you’. Shutterstock
These therapies are used to manipulate babies’ sleep patterns to more closely match their parents’ preferences, along with coping strategies for parents, as they adjust their goal to have a three-month-old who “sleeps through the night”.

But herein lies the problem, because babies do not need to learn, be taught or coached, how to sleep. They emerge from the womb fully capable of sleeping, as do all newborn mammals. They have been sleeping in utero for the last several months, and they spend much of the first few months outside the womb doing so, too.

Wide awake
In the first months of life, babies have no internal body-clock, and have tiny stomachs that empty quickly. So the frequent feeding of babies both day and night is a completely normal and biologically predictable phenomenon.

Human babies, particularly, are growing their brains at a dramatic rate during the year following birth. This is an energetically expensive activity that requires frequent refuelling – something they rely on their parents to provide.

Babies don’t need training to know how to sleep. pexels.
While the sleep coach industry (like the self-help books of 20 years ago) is symptomatic of a belief that infant night-waking needs to be addressed by “fixing the baby” – in reality cultural obsessions with inappropriate infant sleep expectations and “good” babies are what need to be fixed.

But it is totally inappropriate to offer or implement sleep training for babies under six to eight months of age, and well-trained sleep coaches will educate parents who request this.

Baby knows best
So parents who want help with their baby’s sleep patterns should exercise caution when purchasing sleep consultancy. Because, as yet, there is no system for accreditation or regulation of sleep coaches in the UK, and no national training standards.

Sleep coaches can range from experienced ex-NHS staff and trained psychologists, to child-minders or nannies who have completed a two-day course and parents who have read a sleep training guide. Essentially, anyone can hang out a sign or put up a website, and call themselves a sleep coach/counsellor/consultant with little to no training or qualifications.

So parents who do want to go down this route should do their own background research, seek personal recommendations, and investigate the nature of the credentials of anyone whose infant sleep services they opt to employ.

And they should think carefully, too, about what they hope to accomplish by hiring a sleep coach, and why. Because if it is simply to bring a young baby inline with their own requirements, then it might be time for a rethink.

13/01/2022

6 ways to stop daylight saving derailing your child’s sleep
Daylight saving will begin this weekend across most of Australia, signalling warmer weather, longer days and new opportunities for children to make the most of time outside.

It can also mark the start of a rough patch in the sleep department. Children’s body clocks can struggle to adjust as the hour shift forwards means they aren’t tired until later.

There are things parents can do to ease the transition to daylight saving and planning ahead is key. And if things get wobbly, there are also strategies to get them back on track.

But first, let’s look at where the problem starts.

Read more: Spring forward, fall back: how daylight saving affects our sleep

Children’s body clocks
The body clock – also known as our circadian rhythm – controls when we sleep and wake.

Several environmental cues affect our body clock, the most common of which is the light-dark cycle. When it’s dark, our bodies produce more of the hormone melatonin, which helps bring on sleep. And when it’s light, our bodies produce less, so we feel more awake.

When daylight saving begins, children’s bodies aren’t getting the usual environmental signals to sleep at their regular time.

But a later bedtime means getting less sleep overall, which can impact on their concentration, memory, behaviour and ability to learn.

So, how do you plan for the daylight saving switchover?

1. Take a sleep health check
This is a good opportunity to look at how your child is sleeping and whether they’re getting enough sleep overall. Individual needs will vary but as a guide, here’s what you should aim for:

Most children wake themselves in the morning, or wake easily with a gentle prompt, if they’re getting enough good-quality sleep.

But sleep problems such as trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep are common and persistent. Around 50% of problems that begin before a child starts school continue into the early school years. So, early intervention makes a difference.

Read more: Sleep problems that persist could affect children's emotional development

2. Review the bedtime routine
As well as the light-dark cycle, children’s circadian rhythms are synchronised with other environmental cues, such as timing around bath and dinner. A positive routine in the hour before bed creates consistency the body recognises, helping children wind down in preparation for sleep.

Bedtime routines work best when the atmosphere is calm and positive. They include a bath, brushing teeth and quiet play – like reading with you – some quiet chat time, and relaxing music.

Reading stories before bed is calming and helps create a predicable routine. Shutterstock
Keeping quiet time consistent makes it easier to say goodnight and lights out. Doing a quick check on whether they’ve had a drink, been to the toilet and so on can help address things they might call out for later.

Gently reminding children what you expect and quiet praise for staying in bed helps too.

3. Keep regular sleep and wake times
Sticking to similar daily bedtimes and wake times keeps children’s circadian rhythms in a regular pattern.

Read more: Regular bed times as important for kids as getting enough sleep

It’s best to keep this routine during weekends and holidays – even though these are times when older children in particular are eager for later nights. This is worth remembering to avoid a double whammy of sleep disruption as daylight saving and the school holidays coincide.

If your child is not tiring until later, try making bedtime 15 minutes earlier each day until you reach your bedtime target.

4. Control the sleep environment
Darkening the room is an important cue to stimulate melatonin production. This can be challenging during daylight saving, depending on your home. Trying to block out light – say, with thicker curtains – is a good strategy. Keeping the amount of light in the room consistent will also make for better sleep.

Research suggests the blue light emitted by screens from digital devices might suppress melatonin and delay sleepiness. It’s advisable to turn screens off at least an hour before bed and to keep them out of the bedroom at night.

Turn screens off an hour before bed. Ternavskaia Olga Alibec/Shutterstock
Read more: Wired and tired: why parents should take technology out of their kid's bedroom

Temperature plays a role in priming children for sleep, as core body temperature decreases in sync with the body clock. So, check the room, bedding or clothing aren’t too hot. Between 18℃ and 21℃ is the ideal temperature range for a child’s bedroom.

5. Consider what happens during the day
Making sure your child gets plenty of natural daylight, especially in the morning, keeps them alert during the day and sleepy in the evening.

Daytime physical activity also makes children tired and ready for a good night’s sleep.

For children over five, keep naps early and short (20 minutes or less) because longer and later naps make night sleep harder.

For younger children, too little daytime sleep can make them overtired and therefore harder to settle into bed.

6. Focus on food and drink
Think about dinner timing because feeling hungry or full before bedtime can delay sleep by making children too alert or uncomfortable.

It’s also important to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. Caffeine is in chocolate, energy drinks, coffee, tea and cola.

Read more: Kids' diets and screen time: to set up good habits, make healthy choices the default at home

In the morning, a healthy breakfast helps kick-start your child’s body clock at the right time.

Finally, worries, anxiety, and common illnesses can also cause sleep problems. If problems last beyond two to four weeks, or you’re worried, see your GP.

13/01/2022

13/01/2022