4 penny coffin beds. Strange and sad but a clue for curing modern insomnia? In Victorian London, poverty was a harsh, daily reality for thousands. While the wealthy slept in grand homes, the city’s poor often had nowhere to go. For those living on the streets, one of… Read More »4 penny “coffin beds”
ne Noisy neighbours and insomnia. Not sleeping because your neighbours are making excessive noise is not an illness or a health problem. It is though a serious problem that needs a solution. And whilst we think our 3-point sleep plan is very good it’s not the solution to this problem.… Read More »Noisy neighbours and insomnia
Should you wear a sleep monitor? We’re frequently contacted by people who say their sleep has deteriorated. Far enough that’s what we are here for and we have every chance of getting you sleeping soundly again. If you follow our 3 point sleep plan. What’s strange is that… Read More »Should you wear a sleep monitor?
Sleep and chronic pain. The relationship between sleep and chronic pain is both obvious and intriguing. Pain will frequently damage sleep. A painful ankle, back or knee will make getting to sleep much harder. The pain flaring up in the early hours will further disrupt sleep. Our experience… Read More »Sleep and chronic pain
Christmas. The sleep destroyer? Christmas contains plenty of potential sleep antagonists. If you drink alcohol, then you will almost inevitably drink more during the festive season. Alcohol is not a primary cause of insomnia but if you are already sleeping badly then drink will usually make it worse.… Read More »Christmas. The sleep destroyer?
First and second sleep. Intriguingly the practice of going to bed in the late evening and staying there until rising the next morning appears to be a recent innovation. Research by Roger Ekirch has highlighted how pre-industrial societies typically adopted split sleep patterns. Despite some controversy the historical… Read More »First sleep
Anxiety and sleep “Stress is stopping me sleep”. A response I’ve heard countless times both my acupuncture clinic and general life.” Firstly, I’ve never been a fan of the word “stress”. It’s too vague. Being busy can count as stress. We need to talk about anxiety and… Read More »Anxiety and sleep
Can weighted blankets help you sleep better? A recent study suggests that they can. Work by Occupational Therapists at Flinders University concluded that “Weighted blankets seem to offer a tangible, non-drug intervention for improving sleep quality. Adults who used the blankets reported better sleep, reduced use of sleep… Read More »Can weighted blankets help you sleep?
Sleep and the seasons. Do seasonal variations influence sleep? We’re based in northern England at about 53 degrees north. Consequently, we’re used to daily ranges in daylight that are much greater than experienced elsewhere in the world. Sunrise ranges between 4.30am and 8.15am and sunset between 3.30pm and… Read More »Sleep and the seasons.
Coverage by the BBC of a recent study suggesting that poor sleep in your 30s can result in dementia and other health problems later in life. You don’t need to have clinical insomnia. Sub optimal ” survival” level sleep can ( and probably will) over many years ruin… Read More »Sleep and future health
Does poor sleep increase your risk of developing cancer? Ample research suggests sleep quality post diagnosis does effect recovery rates. A detailed Chinese study of 853 ovarian cancer patients concluded that longer sleep supported higher survival rates. Shorter and later sleep leading to much poorer outcomes. Conversely other research… Read More »Does poor sleep increase cancer risk?
How many people in the UK have sleep problems? Whilst the number is undoubtedly significant getting a precise answer is problematic. Firstly we would need to define sleep problems. In our clinic we have come across clients regularly getting 2-3 hours a night and thinking they don’t have… Read More »How many people have sleep problems?