If you are reading this through bleary eyes while mainlining your second coffee of the day, you’re in good company.
It’s a rare person who can boast that they get enough sleep.
Self-inflicted late nights, work-related early mornings, kids, insomnia or unsettled sleep are a feature of life.
In fact, lack of sleep is one of the most common complaints of our time: Four out of five people in Britain suffer disturbed or inadequate – so-called ‘toxic’ – sleep.
But, how much sleep do we really need? Received wisdom suggests eight hours a night – but experts actually disagree.
According to Dr Chris Idzikowski of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, anywhere between five and a half and nine and a half is normal, depending on the individual.
‘It’s when a person gets less than their constitution demands it is then that they suffer,’ he says.
More useful is to look at the quality of the sleep you’re getting. Better sleep = more refreshed, no matter how much time you have.
Whether you’re operating on 4, 8 or 10 hours, here’s how to make sure your sleep is as good as it can be.
Starting with…. Read more