Sleeping myths busted

BY JON AXWORTHY

CAN’T SLEEP, COUNT SHEEP? MYTH
Leave the sheep in the pen and try something more calming. Research at Oxford University found that insomniacs fell asleep more than 20 minutes faster on nights when they pictured a calming scene than on nights when they didn’t, while insomniacs in the sheep-counting group actually took longer than normal to drop off. “The trick is occupying brain space otherwise filled with worrying thoughts,” says Dr Kevin Morgan, of Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre. “Picture a more engaging scene.” Lamb chops, perhaps?

IT’S DANGEROUS TO WAKE A SLEEPWALKER: MYTH
According to the US-based National Sleep Foundation, up to 15 per cent of people sleepwalk. “Sleepwalkers’ brains aren’t good at switching sleep phases,” says Dr Irshaad Ebrahim, of the London Sleep Centre. “When their brains are active during REM sleep, their muscles become active.”

Don’t just leave a sleepwalking partner to her own devices. “It’s dangerous to leave them,” says Ebrahim, “so guide them back to bed.” Even if they wake, they’re likely to be only mildly confused.

CHEESE GIVES YOU VIVID DREAMS: HIT
Tucking into a post-dinner cheeseboard probably won’t give you nightmares, but it could make you dream more, and even allow for dream selection.

In research commissioned by the British Cheese Board and qualified by Neil Stanley, director of sleep research at the University of Surrey, 200 volunteers ate 20 grams of cheese 30 minutes before bed. Seventy-two per cent failed to see werewolves or take exams they hadn’t revised for, but 75 per cent of male stilton eaters did experience vivid dreams, while two-thirds of cheddar-lovers had celebrity-based dreams.

So, to head up in a hot-air balloon with Paris Hilton, try a stilton and cheddar toasted sandwich before bed.

NO TALKING AFTER LIGHTS OUT: HIT
The old campsite rule rings true in the mobile age. Research shows late-night calls disrupt sleep as much as jet lag. Scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden found exposure to handset radiation delayed entry into deep sleep.

“Electromagnetic waves suppress sleep-inducing melatonin in the brain,” says Alasdair Philips, of UK-based Powerwatch, which researches the effects of electromagnetic fields.

Use a landline, ban your mobile from the bedroom and, if you’re still worried, measure your home’s radiation with an electromagnetic smog detector ($95; emfmeter.com.au).

YOU NEED EIGHT HOURS: MYTH
“Like your own fingerprints and walking gait, sleep patterns are distinctive to you,” says Dr Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University in the UK. The important thing is achieving uninterrupted sleep, rather than just a particular amount.

“Six hours straight is sufficient to get you through the four crucial sleep stages,” says Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a sleep coach at London’s Capio Nightingale Hospital. “To get your six hours, consume vitamin B6 and tryptophan – found in chicken, cheese, tuna, eggs, nuts and milk – to boost the production of sleep-aiding serotonin,” says Ramlakhan.

ALCOHOL HELPS YOU SLEEP: MYTH
You may pass out before you hit the pillow – or before you exit the taxi – but you won’t feel recharged in the morning. “Alcohol is a sedative, but the sleep it induces is poor quality,” says Ramlakhan. “You wake up more frequently as your body processes ethanol and you go into overnight withdrawal.”

Dehydration and a full bladder also keep you from the deep sleep needed to feel rested. “Try to tail off your alcohol consumption as the evening wears on,” advises Ramlakhan. “It takes an hour for the liver to process a unit.” You can try doing the arithmetic as you stumble to the toilet at 1am, 3am, 5am . . .

POWERNAPS BEAT LIE-INS: HIT
Britain’s World War II prime minister, Winston Churchill, fought the war while surviving on five hours’ sleep a night. Of course, his famous bulldog spirit was emboldened every afternoon with more than a sneaky brandy – after lunch he’d head back to bed for a refreshing siesta.

“A nap allows the brain to recharge without throwing out your body clock,” says Horne “And naps of up to 20 minutes have been proven to be very effective at increasing cognitive function.”

Horne advises drinking two cups of coffee pre-siesta. The caffeine filters through to act as an alarm clock,
waking you energised.

WE’RE EXHAUSTED: HIT
In a study conducted by health insurer MBF, 51 per cent of Australians said they were not getting enough sleep and blamed several factors, including full schedules, going to bed too late, job stress, family issues such as having young children, and poor sleep patterns. When this all catches up with you in the office, don’t stifle that yawn. “The action expands the windpipe, oxygenating the blood and making you more alert,” says Ramlakhan. Maybe not during your annual appraisal, though.

SLEEPING IN MAKES YOU FAT: HIT
If your snooze button gets more use than Warnie’s mobile phone at a swimsuit contest, you could be heading for elasticated waistbands. A study by researchers at Laval University in Canada found people who slept more than nine hours a night were 25 per cent more likely to gain five kilograms over six years than people who clocked up between seven and eight hours. You may as well get up and have that fried breakfast.

YOU ONLY SNORE WHEN YOU’RE DRUNK: MYTH
Booze can exacerbate the problem by over-relaxing muscles, but your throat’s width defines how antisocial your sleep is. At the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, researchers found snorers had something in common besides familiarity with the spare room – narrow throats. “Snoring is simply down to the throat’s shape and size,” says John Gibson, president of the British Thoracic Society.

SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK: MYTH
Cutting back on sleep is bad for your ticker, according to a study from the University of Warwick and University College London. Researchers looked at the sleeping patterns of 10,000 people over five years and found cutting sleep from seven to five hours
a night doubled the risk of death from cardiovascular problems. The lesson: sleeping for seven hours a night is optimal for health; staying up to watch the English Premiership live isn’t.