Men and Sleep

We’ve all seen the ‘Women Need More Sleep than Men’ headlines. In fact, much that is written about sleep and more specifically, sleep deprivation, is written in relation to women. Why is that?

In general, many men view sleep as ‘wasted time’. As far as they’re concerned, it’s time that could be better utilised working or doing something else – almost anything else in fact, other than sleep. So, with Father’s Day just around the corner, this article is for all the men out there who may need a gentle reminder as to the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

The Signs

If you don’t wake up feeling refreshed in the morning, find yourself feeling dozy during the day or acting irritable, there’s a good chance that you’re suffering from a level of sleep deprivation. For most people, getting up later in the morning or taking a nap during the day is not an option so the only way to rectify this, is to face facts and go to bed earlier.

Start by making bedtime an hour earlier and you will soon be able to tell if you can move bedtime a little forwards or if you really need to push it even further back. Once you realise how much better you feel and how much better you perform when you’re well rested, the chances are sleep will become a greater priority for you.

Boundaries

Dealing with a high pressured job, working long hours and/or having a commute to and from work can play havoc with your sleep. Many people often feel that to get ahead, they have to put in lots of extra hours in the evenings, early mornings or at weekends. As a result, your sleep is often pushed down the list of priorities. Over time, this will undoubtedly lead to higher stress levels as well as risking a whole host of physical health problems.

The only real ‘cure’ is a mental one that involves you shifting your priorities. The more of work you can leave at work the better. Ringfence time to ensure it remains work free – this includes checking work emails etc. If you work from home, set very clear boundaries on your time and allow enough time away from the work to unwind, otherwise you will find that even when you are in bed, your mind will not allow you to sleep. Your bed and bedroom needs to be a place to relax – keep it laptop-free at all times!

Free Time / Me Time

Take a look at how much of your free time is actually ‘free’. If you’ve managed to adjust your priorities enough to leave more of your work at work, you won’t necessarily be doing yourself any favours if you spend every evening and weekend working on the house, the garden, going to the gym etc. Of course all those things need doing and in some cases, such activities can aid relaxation and therefore contribute to a good sleep routine. Only you will know what truly works for you. Remember to allow enough time for ‘Me Time’ – that’s just as much of a priority as sleep itself.

Bad Habits

It’s worth remembering that alcohol, nicotine and caffeine can all disrupt your sleep. If you find it hard to fall asleep quickly, it’s worth avoiding them for at least a few hours before bed. Again, how long you need to stay away from them will vary from person to person – it really is worth experimenting.

Some people think that drinking alcohol actually aids sleep by making us sleepy. Whereas it’s true that it can help you fall asleep faster, it is also likely to cause you to wake up during the night and overall, the quality of your sleep will suffer when under the influence.

Comfort

Perhaps the greatest contributing factor to poor sleep can be the actual bed and mattress you’re sleeping on. Most bed sales people will tell you they sell more to women than to men meaning that potentially, many men are sleeping on unsuitable/unsupportive beds and mattresses. Whilst a new bed/mattress might seem an excessive Father’s Day Day present, it’s definitely something worth looking at (together!) if your existing bed is showing signs of age.

Dormeo has a great range of mattresses, bedsteads and divans to suit every bedroom and every budget. All our mattresses whether from our bestselling Memory range or from our luxury Octaspring range, are available in Single, Double, King and Super King sizes and come with our 15 year warranty and our 60 night Comfort Guarantee. We are that sure that you will experience the best sleep that if you don’t agree within the 60 day trial period, we'll happily refund you the cost of the mattress with our ‘No Quibble Refund’. 

If you have any questions or queries, we are on hand any time to answer them, free, on 0800 625 0134.