WELLBEING
Health Matters
This week, expert tips on how you can catch up on sleep. Plus cosy activewear, healthy snack ideas and a delicious alcohol alternative for dry January
COMPILED BY KATE LOCKETT AND LYDIA MORMEN.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
TIME TO SLEEP
Feeling a bit lethargic after the holidays? “If you’ve had lots of late nights or early starts, you’ll have built up a sleep debt that needs to be repaid,” says Dr Guy Meadows, co-founder and clinical lead at Sleep School (sleepschool.org). Unfortunately, you can’t simply settle your debt by spending a day in bed. “Late nights and long lay-ins disrupt the natural timing of our body clock, resulting in unwelcome symptoms such as insomnia, daytime sleepiness, nausea and low mood,” he explains.
So how can you get back into a routine? According to Guy: “The best approach is small chunks over time, rather than one long extended sleep. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier or sleep in for 30 minutes extra at the same time every day, a few nights a week for a couple of weeks.”