Why a Sleep Handout Won't Help You Sleep

Alright, so that's a pretty negative way to start a blog post, but we have to debunking the myths before we can get better! I would like to explain why naturopaths, nutritionists and other health professionals wax lyrical about 'sleep hygiene' and why it's unlikely to completely fix your insomnia.

Can general advice help? Sure. But there are much better ways to get deep, restorative sleep. I promise.

The origin of the term 'sleep hygiene' and the concept of better sleep-preparation practice is a matter of contention. The earliest reference to sleep hygiene was made by American physiologist Nathaniel Kleitman. In 1939 he reviewed the evidence around sleep, including sleep duration, rituals, sleep surface, temperature and body position, but does not reflect what we think of 'sleep hygiene' recommendations today.

The modern interpretation of the term likely comes from psychologist Peter Hauri. In 1977, in his book 'Current Concepts - the sleep disorders' was described as the following;

"Sleep Hygiene Education is intended to provide information about lifestyle (diet, exercise, substance use) and environmental factors (light, noise, temperature) that may interfere with or promote better sleep. Sleep hygiene also may include general sleep facilitating recommendations, such as allowing enough time to relax before bedtime, and information about the benefits of maintaining a regular sleep schedule."

Ok, so that's the terminology. You tell your practitioner that you don't sleep well, and they may give you a list of recommendations to change your lifestyle or environmental factors. I did already say that this can be helpful, and it is! In Naturopathic or holistic medicine, a huge part of our philosophy is 'removing barriers'. For sleep hygiene, this would mean ensuring the client has removed any overt obstacles to good sleep, e.g. reducing screen time before bed, removing stimulant foods/drinks, cooling down the room etc. If you haven't already tried the basic sleep hygiene steps, do them!

But what happens when they don't work? When you've tried them all and STILL can't get to sleep, or wake up during the night. That's when it's time to seek personalised advice. There is an almost endless list of reasons why you have trouble sleeping, and they are deeply personal. The timelines are important (when did it start? When does it happen?), food intake information is critical, exercise investigation is needed, family history and personal medical history is essential - and it's all unique to you.

Your sleep specialist will have strategies, your naturopath or nutritionist will have strategies and they're all worth trying, especially if they are working together for the benefit of your health and wellbeing. Maybe it will include dietary intervention. Perhaps there are some herbs or nutrients that help with sleep; this is usually via calming the nervous system, as a lot of sleep issues come from anxiety... about sleep!

A really effective area of sleep medicine is something called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, or CBTi. This involves a range of strategies to help get your body back used to sleep, using things like cognitive restructuring, scheduling, relaxation techniques and more. It works best when tailored to you personally, and should be explained by a practitioner with a CBTi certification.

If you're struggling with sleep, more than once a week, it might be time to take some new steps. Whether it's basic sleep hygiene (a good start) or personalised recommendations - I hope you can get that great night's sleep you deserve.