Why We Can’t Sleep (and What Can Help)

Scientists have been telling us how much sleep we need for a while now. Depending on which research you read, the average figure quoted for adults is eight hours a night. But the reality is: most people aren’t getting that, and don’t sleep for that long.

According to the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) at least 4 in 10 people aren’t getting enough sleep, with the Sleep Health Foundation suggesting 1 in 3 people suffer with insomnia –  trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.  It’s the second most common health complaint after pain. The “average” Briton gets around six hours sleep a night according to this article in the Independent. Sunday was revealed as the day people get their worst night’s sleep.

And it’s not just a British problem. According to some reports (scrutinised by the NHS) sleep is an issue around the world.

It makes sense that when Dr. Guy Meadows commissioned The Big Sleep Report, he identified that only 1% of the UK’s population wake up feeling completely refreshed every day. Even people getting the recommended eight hours a night (or more) admit they don’t wake up feeling rested, with especially poor sleep the night before their next shift (known as Sunday Night Syndrome).

I talk about this and more in my book Answers in the Dark: Grief, Sleep and How Dreams Can Help You Heal. The book aims to join the dots between our sleep, dreams and our mental health, specifically how grief shows up, even if no one has died. I explore some of the big myths of sleep, offer a Sleep Cycle Repair Kit including mindfulness activities as well as some top tips to help you decode your dreams. 

You can find out more in the video below or order on Amazon.

©️ Copyright Delphi Ellis