Credit Crunch Nightmares

It’s bad enough worrying about the credit crunch and looming recession during daylight hours, but now it seems the economic situation is affecting our nights as well.

Sleep deprivation caused by money worries is already, according to recent research, affecting those in particularly vulnerable professions – from estate agents and investment bankers to lorry drivers and taxi drivers.

They are enjoying less sleep – only at best six hours a night – than those in other professions and trades, found a survey by Travelodge.

The company’s director of sleep, Leigh McCarron, says: “It’s no surprise that the professions in the industries worst hit by the credit crunch come top of the charts. We all know that money worries and job insecurity are key drivers of stress, which in turn, leads to significant sleep loss.”

These findings are backed by new research by sleep aid, Sominex, which discovered that a third of those it surveyed had disturbed nights because of money worries and a further third toss and turn over job worries.

The results of another study of 2000 workers by internet firm Audible.co.uk showed that one in 10 didn’t fall to sleep for more than an hour after going to bed.

If you’re tossing and turning thanks to work and money woes, find out how to get some decent sleep in the bank.

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep?

• Lack of concentration
• Clumsiness and some memory loss
• Loss of intelligence – Stanley Coren, a Canadian sleep expert, claims you lose one IQ point the next day for every hour of lost sleep the night before
• Reduced immune system making you more vulnerable to infections and metabolic and hormone changes
• General ill health from headaches to stress
• Extreme sleep deprivation can also cause hallucinations and difficulty speaking and moving

Top Tips for a Great Night’s Sleep

• Keep regular hours – going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time, all the time, will programme your body to sleep better.
• Create a restful sleeping environment – your bedroom should be kept for rest and sleep and it should be neither too hot, nor too cold, and as quiet and dark as possible.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable -it’s difficult to get deep, restful sleep on one that’s too soft, too hard, too small or too old. In fact, a really good mattress will be an investment worth its weight in gold.
• Take more exercise – swimming or walking can help relieve the day’s stresses and strains – but not too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake.
• Cut down on stimulants – cut down on caffeine in tea or coffee – especially in the evening as they interfere with falling asleep and prevent deep sleep. Have a hot milky drink or herbal tea instead.
• Don’t over-indulge – too much food or alcohol, especially just before bedtime, can play havoc with sleep patterns. Alcohol may help you fall asleep initially, but will interrupt your sleep later on in the night.
• Don’t smoke – smoking is bad for sleep, too: smokers take longer to fall asleep, wake more often and often experience more sleep disruption.
• Try to relax before going to bed – have a warm bath, listen to some quiet music, do some yoga – all help to relax both the mind and body. Deal with your worries or a heavy workload by making lists of things to be tackled the next day.

And if you can’t sleep, get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again.

Sweet dreams!