Fewer bright lights, more power naps: Tips for a better night's sleep

Researchers at the McGill University Health Centre's Sleep Laboratory say that most Canadians aren't getting enough sleep.

"And a lot of them feel they're not getting good sleep," said lab director Dr. John Kimoff.

He noted that the invention of televisions, Internet and mobile phones have been interfering with the way people get to bed at night.

"Light is one of the key factors for our circadian clock that stimulates wakefulness," Kimoff told CBC's Daybreak. According to him, avoiding bright light in the evenings can increase the odds of getting a good night's sleep.

Trouble falling asleep

When asked about those who take hours to fall asleep, Kimoff said that it wasn't an "exceptional" experience. He explained that many people suffer from a delayed sleep phase, which leads to a sleep cycle that's hours behind the norm.

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"It takes many, many hours to get to sleep, but once you are asleep you can actually sleep for a fairly reasonable duration," he said. "The problem being then, that class is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. and you have to get up."

He said that adolescents, particularly those in their mid-teens, have a biological tendency to be affected, which lead to some schools considering later start times.

Dealing with insomnia

For those who suffer from an inability to sleep, Kimoff acknowledged that insomnia was "a tough nut to crack." 

"It is a normal part of the human experience to have sleep disruption, insomnia and periods of intense stress or grief or bereavement. That's normal biology," he said. "What becomes abnormal is when that problem persists, and that's unfortunately a very common experience."

He said that cognitive behavioural therapies can help try to alleviate insomnia, such as relaxing exercises, developing healthy sleeping habits and limiting what activities should be allowed in bed.

While medication is not the answer for everyone, Kimoff says it does have its applications.

"The use of those medications is best applied in the context of an acute situation, where there's some event that's happened and there's a transient stage of sleep that can be weathered with the support of medication," he explained. "The more complicated thing is when it becomes chronic."

He suggested that those suffering from chronic insomnia see their family doctor for a referral to a psychologist specializing in sleep.

Working strange shifts

Kimoff admitted that working odd hours was "not optimal" for someone's health.

"The human organism is designed to function optimally on a regular schedule. We have an internal clock that functions for most people very, very well," he said. "When we try and fight against that, it's difficult and causes problems."

Shift workers working strange hours have an elevated rate of metabolic complications, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk. In addition, Kimoff said that many workplace accidents can be attributed to shift workers who didn't get adequate sleep before starting their shift.

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"We recommend that people do as much preventative and restorative work on their sleep as possible. If you know that you're going to be coming in to a busy period … they should really pay attention to getting the best sleep they can, and plan for recovery sleep," he said.

Kimoff also said that "power naps" can also be beneficial to those working odd hours, recommending a 15 to 30 minute quick doze during the shift.

"Just short periods of recovery sleep will actually enhance performance," he said.