Middleton Hall Retirement Village has invested in a partnership with Talk Works to support and enhance Co-owner wellbeing. Talk Works is a team of experienced psychologists and counsellors, providing talking therapy for individuals and groups.
As part of their business they run training workshops and, in their first collaboration with Middleton Hall, Talk Works ran a sleep well workshop where Co-owners learnt about the impact sleep can have on workplace performance, how to create the best conditions to sleep better as well as other sleep tips.
Sleep is… Fundamental to our well-being and critical to both our physical and mental development.
A lack of sleep in adults has been associated with a wide range of negative health consequences, which can impact the immune system and impair your thinking, memory and mental health – leading to depression and anxiety.
The exact reason why we sleep still remains one of the most intriguing mysteries in health science. Studies demonstrate that sleep is incredibly complex and has effects on virtually all systems of the body. Existing research and knowledge reveals how sleep is connected to numerous elements of physical, emotional, and mental health.
Sleep Facts:
- Humans spend 1/3 of their life sleeping
- Your body is programmed to feel sleepy twice a day.
- Dysania is the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in a morning
- Pre-schoolers need up to 13 hours sleep per night.
- Stress & anxiety is the most common cause of nightmares.
- Driving while drowsy is similar to driving intoxicated.
- Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss have been linked to – heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
Sleep Tips:
- Don’t force yourself to sleep; if you haven’t fallen asleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something calming e.g. read a book, journal, draw…
- Avoid blue light; The short wave blue light from computers, TV’s and phone screens supresses the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. It is important to avoid screen time for two hours before bed.
- Use your bed only for sleep; If your body learns to associate your bed with sleep, you’ll start to feel tired as soon as you lie down. Using your phone, watching TV or sending emails in bed can have the opposite effect
- Set a schedule; Establish a regular sleep schedule every day of the week- this will help to set your “Biological clock”. Don’t lie in more than an hour, even on days off
If you or someone you know are struggling with any aspect of sleeping or the after effects of poor sleep – please speak up and let your manager or the People Team know. We are proud to be working in partnership with Talk Works to support all Co-owner wellbeing.