5 sleep insights from sleep experts

Learn from sleep experts Dr Rosie Gibson and Dr Karyn O’Keeffe.

Groov's VP Clinical, Dr. Fiona Crichton, spoke to senior lecturers from Massey Sleep/Wake Research Centre, Dr. Karyn O'Keeffe and Dr. Rosie Gibson, to learn more about getting a good night’s rest.

The trio discussed all things sleep, including:

• What’s normal when it comes to sleep

• The pros and cons of sleep trackers

• Your circadian rhythm and the importance of light

• What to do when you’re struggling with sleep

• How to prepare for a good night’s sleep

Read our top five takeaways from their conversation below.

1. Waking up at night is “absolutely normal”

If you wake up a few times a night, don't fret. It's "absolutely normal," says Dr. Karyn.

"In fact, I'd expect it to happen in a normal, healthy sleeper," she explains. "When it starts happening frequently – maybe more than three times, and it's for long periods – then that warrants a further discussion with a health professional. But certainly waking up, rolling over, and going back to sleep within about 15 minutes wouldn't be of concern."

Dr. Rosie agrees. "If we're measuring sleep objectively in the lab, we might calculate sleep efficiency – how much time spent in bed was actually spent asleep? We wouldn't expect it to be 100%. But if it starts to be less than 80% or 85%, that's when to seek further assistance."

2. Be wary of sleep trackers

Both Dr. Rosie and Dr. Karyn suggest taking information from sleep trackers with "a grain of salt."

"These devices are not perfect at picking up sleep/wake activity because they're not measuring what's happening in the brain. Instead, they're trying to make estimates based on body movement," explains Dr. Karyn.

She adds: "There's also some anxiety that can come from tracking sleep regularly. We need to ask ourselves, is this device helpful for me?"

Dr. Fiona agrees, acknowledging that many people feel anxious after tracking their sleep. If this is you, try tracking your mood instead. How you feel after a night's sleep often indicates whether you need to change your sleeping patterns.

3. Light is one of the best ways to influence sleep

Dr. Karyn explains that light is one of the most powerful tools for controlling our sleep patterns.

"Light is the strongest source of information for our circadian body clock. It helps synchronize our internal body clocks to the external sun clock," she says.

Here are some quick tips for using light to set you up for a good night’s sleep.

• Get plenty of natural light throughout the day, especially first thing in the morning.

• Avoid using light-emitting devices in the hours leading up to bedtime or in the middle of the night.

• Make sure your sleep space is as dark as possible.

"When we think about light, we must think about 24 hours. So we need healthy light exposure during the day, which can counteract some of the 'bad' light exposure during the evening. Then we need to avoid using light during our sleep periods," explains Dr. Karyn.

4. You'll struggle with sleep sometimes, but that's OK

There will be times when your sleep will take a hit, such as during times of stress or change, health challenges, or having a baby.

Dr. Rosie reassures us, "it's OK for sleep to go through periods of disruption." The most important thing is "to be mindful of behaviors that support sleep during these times, and to not develop bad sleep habits that might roll on outside these contexts."

Dr. Fiona agrees. "I think it's beneficial not to be too hard on ourselves. From my own experience now – over many decades – sometimes the anxiety about sleep is the most counterproductive to sleep."

Here are some practical things you can try while struggling with sleep.

• Create a 'safe space' for quiet, dark, and comfortable sleep.

• If you can’t sleep, remove yourself from your sleep space and do a quiet activity in low light (no devices!) until you feel sleepy again.

• Try writing your worries and your to-do list down before you attempt to sleep.

• If anxiety persists, consider speaking to a clinical psychologist to see if there’s something else going on that needs to be addressed.

5. What you do during the day matters

The choices you make throughout the day – such as getting plenty of natural light, doing some exercise you enjoy, and eating at regular intervals – can help to promote sleep for longer periods at night, says Dr. Rosie.

Another way to set yourself up for sleep at night is to learn something new – a nod to Do, one of Groov’s 6 Pillars of Wellbeing.

"Studies show that if you're learning something new, you'll see a spike in REM activity," says Dr. Rosie.

Dr. Rosie also acknowledges that our mood matters a lot, too.

"We know the relationship between our mood and sleep is bi-directional, which makes it quite tricky. When we're experiencing depression, anxiety, or stress, this can make it harder to get to sleep. But if we're not having quality sleep, this can exacerbate our mood. So it's very chicken and egg!" she explains.

“Try to take care of those factors which contribute to stress or anxiety during the daytime, so you’re setting yourself up to have the best possible sleep at night.”