How a night owl can get a better night's sleep, according to an expert

Research by British and Australian scientists has revealed that "night owls" can alter their biological clock in as little as three weeks – without using medication – which could promote greater mental well-being.

The study, published by the journal Sleep Medicine, focused specifically on night nights. She found that sleepers – who slept between two and three hours earlier than normal – reported a decrease in feelings of stress, fatigue, and even depression, while still achieving the same sleep than before.

Good news for night owls – but what will happen if you have trouble changing your body clock? How can those who burn midnight oil sleep a good night?

That's the question we asked Professor Colin Espie, co-founder of the Sleepio Digital Sleep Enhancement Program and Chief Medical Officer of Big Health.

"Maintaining good relationships with your natural chronotype (the behavioral manifestation of your underlying circadian rhythm) is one of the most important ways to get a good night's sleep," he explained. .

"If you are a natural person in the evening – an owl at night – you will probably be more productive later in the day / evening and mornings will not be your best time.If you are an owl at night and you are trying to get up In the early morning you may be deprived of sleep because you will not necessarily sleep earlier simply because you got up earlier. "

Fortunately, Professor Espie had some advice; ways that night owls can offer a good night's sleep. They are as follows:

Take the time to calm down

Spend your time relaxing in the evening to help you get ready for sleep. Relax with activities that you personally love that help you physically and mentally disconnect. Some people may find relaxing watching TV; others may find this energizing.

Prepare for bed and sleep. You can not just go to bed and expect to fall asleep immediately.

Keep a regular sleep-wake rhythm

It is essential to maintain a regular sleep schedule, day after day. Sleep is a 24-hour process that begins when we wake up.

Once we wake up and are exposed to natural light, we feel more alert. When it's dark, our body produces melatonin, a hormone that helps us fall asleep. Our body anticipates this behavior and produces hormones at the same hours each day. If we play with this rhythm, it will throw the body into disarray.

Take action if needed

If you have trouble sleeping (three or more nights a week) and it persists and disturbs you, it is important to take action; Sleeping hygiene practices alone will not solve the problem.

The internationally recommended intervention for insomnia disorder (based on extensive clinical trials) is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is now available in digital form through our Sleepio program.