It’s recommended that teenagers get between 8-10 hours of sleep per night, but these days most only get 6-7 hours. This sleep deprivation is due, in part, to the fact that teenagers’ natural sleep cycles shift later during adolescence. As a result, teenagers tend to feel most alert and energetic later in the day and are more likely to fall asleep later at night becoming what’s known as ‘Super-night-owls’. This change is unavoidable, and not due to social media usage and instead due to changes in their hormones during puberty. This means that early school start times make it impossible for them ..read more

Every year the clocks go back by one hour in the UK at 2 am on the last Sunday in October. This means that this year the change happens on Sunday 30th October, gaining an extra hour in bed as we end Daylight Saving Time (DST). The USA will fall back the following Sunday 6th November. Not ideal if you are trying to keep in sync for business reasons. Equally, from a health point of view, Sleep Scientists have long proposed that the changes should be abolished. In fact, there have been a number of government reviews across the world in the last few years with both the USA and EU voting to stop ch ..read more

According to the Sleep Foundation, sleep disorders affect 39% to 47% of perimenopausal women and 35% to 60% of postmenopausal women. So why do the hormonal changes during menopause have such a big effect on sleep and how can you reduce their impact? And, what alternatives are there to taking HRT and prescription medicines? How do Hormonal Changes Affect Sleep? Progesterone promotes sleep, via its impact on GABA  a neurotransmitter, which helps you switch off and fall asleep. The loss of Progesterone in menopause makes it harder to both get to sleep and stay asleep. The loss of Oestrogen c ..read more

It’s quite common to have a lower mood in the winter. This is often referred to as the Winter Blues. A more severe form is called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. A lack of sunlight is considered a major factor in SAD and winter blues, although there are a number of other factors to consider too.  Then there is the day when we are saddest of all, named Blue Monday What is Blue Monday? Blue Monday is a name given to a theoretically ‘most depressing day of the year’. It was calculated by a psychologist called Dr Cliff Arnall in 2005, being commissioned by Sky Travel to work out why the h ..read more

It’s quite common to have a lower mood in the winter. This is often referred to as the Winter Blues. A more severe form is called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. A lack of sunlight is considered a major factor in SAD and winter blues, although there are a number of other factors to consider too.  Then there is the day when we are saddest of all, named Blue Monday What is Blue Monday? Blue Monday is a name given to a theoretically ‘most depressing day of the year’. It was calculated by a psychologist called Dr Cliff Arnall in 2005, being commissioned by Sky Travel to work out why the h ..read more

It’s now well known that if you are trying to lose weight, apart from being more mindful of what you eat and taking regular exercise, getting a good night’s sleep is an essential part of an effective weight loss programme. In fact, the relationship between sleep and bodyweight is bidirectional. Studies have shown that when we lose sleep we gain weight and that those who are overweight or obese tend to sleep less too. In this post, I will explain why lack of sleep makes us hungrier and crave unhealthy foods. I will also explain why we find it a lot harder to achieve our target weight loss from ..read more

When we fall ill, we instinctively want to sleep longer. That’s because we are designed to ‘sleep ourselves well’. Here our immune system stimulates us to sleep. In fact, the relationship between sleep and immunity is bidirectional. We need sleep to have a healthy immune system, and a healthy immune system helps us sleep. The impact of sleep on the immune system. When we lack sleep, all the body’s systems essentially become stressed. Then our fight or flight response kicks in to prepare the body for attack, which includes the production of antibodies in preparation for injury. Over the long te ..read more

Whether in term time or during holidays teenagers have found lockdown and coping with Covid 19 more stressful than adults.  They have also lost more sleep. That’s not to say that British teenagers were getting enough sleep in the first place. It’s well documented that British teenagers are sleeping less than the required 8 to 10 hours a night. School pressures and problems with social media are regarded as the main reasons. If your teenager is struggling with sleep during lockdown here’s a three-step plan to help to set up a good night’s sleep. Step 1 Create a healthy daily routine. Just ..read more

It’s without question that those who eat a healthy, well-balanced diet of fresh foods, tend to have both a stronger immune system and a lower risk of infectious diseases. This sort of diet, often referred to as a ‘ Mediterranean Diet,’ consists of eating fresh, unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish and some meat. What’s more, this sort of diet is also proven to help you get a better night’s sleep. Another consideration with regards to healthy eating is to avoid added sugar and salt. Cutting down sugar is certainly something to consider if you are overweight, not least ..read more

14 min read Have the benefits of remote working started to wane? If so, do you feel like you are now living at work? There are many plusses to working from home, but stepping away from our desk and switching off is hard when our work and personal space are one and the same. Read my top 20 tips on protecting your well-being as we continue to work from home. From simple steps to handy hacks, make remote working work for you with my 4 step plan for healthy homeworking. I hope they help. Stay safe and stay well. The 4  Step plan for healthy homeworking. There are some key areas to consider wh ..read more