Dr Michael Mosley on how routine could aid hampered sleep – ‘Really good thing to do’

Dr Michael Mosley on the importance of routine for sleep

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From sleepless lockdown nights to full-blown insomnia, many have struggled with hampered sleep in recent years. In fact, Southampton University reported that one in four people are suffering from insomnia as a result of the pandemic. Informed by this rise and his own struggles with sleep, Dr Mosley has set out to investigate sleep in his new BBC documentary.

Speaking on Morning Live, the doctor revealed he’s no stranger to sleep problems.

He said: “I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime.

“I once slept in a graveyard, I slept in a telephone booth, I slept in someone’s bath.

“Then…my wife started having kids but every child you have adds to the insomnia, sadly.

“And then it got worse in my 40s and 50s. Now, I’m in my mid-60s and like a lot of people my age, I struggle with sleep.”

After investigating gadgets and sleep practices, Dr Mosley shared that routine plays an important role.

He continued: “Routine is a huge part of it.

“If you can try and go to bed the same time every night, get up the same time every morning, that’s a really good thing to do.

“That includes weekends, I’m afraid.

“Because the weekend lay-in tends to disrupt sleep and leads to something called social jet lag which is like real jet lag.”

Although getting that extra hour in bed on a weekend morning might be a ritual for many, the expert warned it can lead to a vicious cycle.

Dr Mosley explained: “For example, if you get up two hours later on Sunday morning that means you will have less sleep drive come Sunday evening.

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