When the afternoon slump hits, a coffee or energy drink can feel like the quickest solution. Caffeine can certainly make you feel more alert, but it doesn’t replace sleep. So, when you’re tired, what actually works?
Why caffeine gives you a boost: Caffeine can improve attention, alertness and reaction time, particularly when you’re tired. A typical cup of brewed coffee contains around 80 to 100 mg of caffeine, although amounts vary between drinks.
Ever picked up your phone for a quick scroll before bed, only to realise an hour has disappeared? Between social media, late-night messages and endless streaming, technology has become a familiar part of our evenings. But while our devices keep us entertained and connected, they can also make it harder to unwind and get a good night’s sleep.
The good news? A few simple changes to your digital habits could make bedtime feel much more relaxing.
Sleep can change dramatically during menopause. You might suddenly struggle to fall asleep, wake several times throughout the night or find yourself exhausted despite spending enough time in bed.
While hormonal changes, hot flushes and night sweats can certainly interfere with sleep, it is important not to assume that poor sleep is simply something you have to accept during menopause. Different sleep problems require different treatments, so finding out what is actually keeping you awake is an important first step.
When you have been struggling with insomnia for months, it is natural to start changing your routine in an effort to get more sleep. You might go to bed earlier, spend longer in bed or worry about how you will cope tomorrow if you do not sleep tonight. Unfortunately, some of these thoughts and behaviours can unintentionally keep the cycle of insomnia going.
This is where Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I, comes in.
Ever climbed into bed feeling exhausted, only to find your mind suddenly buzzing with thoughts? Perhaps you’re replaying conversations, worrying about tomorrow or becoming increasingly aware of every little sound around you. When your mind refuses to switch off, even the quietest bedroom can feel surprisingly distracting.
This is where white noise apps might help. But can a gentle background sound really make falling asleep easier?
Have you ever woken up feeling refreshed, only to check your smartwatch and discover that your sleep score was surprisingly low? Suddenly, you start questioning whether you actually slept well.
Sleep trackers can be useful tools for understanding our sleep habits. However, for some people, constantly monitoring sleep data can create unnecessary worry and even make sleeping more difficult. This growing phenomenon is known as orthosomnia.
After a restless night, reaching for an extra coffee can feel almost essential. Caffeine can give you the boost you need to get through a busy morning or afternoon, particularly when you are already feeling tired or stressed. The problem is that caffeine, stress and insomnia can sometimes feed into each other, creating a frustrating cycle that makes restful sleep even harder to achieve.
Caffeine Can Keep You Alert for Longer Than You Think: Caffeine works partly by blocking adenosine, a chemical that builds up in the brain throughout the day and helps create feelings of sleepiness.
Struggling to fall asleep is frustrating enough. Add repeated breathing interruptions throughout the night, and getting genuinely restorative sleep can become even more difficult. For some people, insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occur at the same time, a combination known as comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, or COMISA.
When these two sleep disorders overlap, the effects can extend well beyond feeling tired. Poor sleep may affect concentration, emotional regulation and your overall sense of wellbeing.
We’ve all been there. You pick up your phone for a quick scroll before bed, only to realise that half an hour has passed and you’re still wide awake. While screens are often blamed for disrupting sleep, is it really the blue light keeping us awake, or is it what we’re doing on our devices?
Interestingly, both can play a role.
