Daily Mail - 07.08.2019

Daily Mail, Wednesday, August 7, 2019 Page 
QQQ

By Victoria Allen

Science Correspondent

IF you’ve ever hesitated about saying yes

to that offer of a coffee after dinner or

cup of tea before bed, you can now stop

worrying, say scientists.

Drinking caffeine close to bedtime may

not stop you getting off to sleep after all,

a study suggests. Instead, it is alcohol

which is far more likely to lead to a night

of tossing and turning.

Researchers tracked the sleep of nearly

800 people over six nights, and got them

to note if they had consumed caffeine,

alcohol or nicotine in the four hours

before bed.

Almost half had caffeinated drinks at

night but no link with poor sleep could be

found. In contrast, those who drank

alcohol saw their sleep efficiency fall by

almost 1 per cent – the equivalent of five

minutes’ lost sleep. Those who smoked

before bed saw a 2 per cent fall, an aver-

age of eight extra minutes awake.

The study, published in the journal Sleep,

did not take into account how much caf-

feine the participants drank or how sensi-

tive they were to it. Some people break it

down in their bodies faster than others.

Lead author Dr Christine Spadola, of

Florida Atlantic University, said: ‘While we

did find evening consumption of alcohol

and nicotine were associated with sleep

disruption, we did not find an association

with caffeine

‘This was a surprise but is not unprece-

dented. The previous evidence is mixed

when it comes to the effect of caffeine on

sleep. However, it is best to limit caffein-

ated drinks after noon for optimal sleep.’

Alcohol affects chemicals in the brain

and is known to cause shallower sleep.

Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants which

can block chemicals important for sleep.

The NHS advises people looking for a

better night’s sleep to cut down on

caffeine in coffee, tea, energy drinks and

colas, especially in the evening.

A cup of coffee near bedtime may NOT

stop you getting a good night’s sleep

This little piggy will

never go to market!

‘I’d brought some blankets with

me, swaddled her up and she fell

asleep in my arms within seconds

• I fell in love with her there and
  then,’ she said.
  ‘The day before Ellis called me,
  I was driving along the A12 near
  my home and spotted a transport
  truck full of pigs. Realising they
  may be on their way to the abat-
  toir, I was grief-stricken all day.
  ‘Then, when Ellis called me the
  next morning, I knew it was fate.
  It sounds crazy, but I honestly
  believe the universe wanted me

to take in this poor, abandoned

piglet.’ Mrs Buck and her family

made efforts to find out where

the lorry she saw was from, in

case it had been carrying the

piglet, but it had no markings.

She spent a day preparing her

house to accommodate Peggy

and introducing the piglet to

her two dogs, bulldog Ernie and

terrier Eddie.

‘I didn’t want to push Peggy

into being a pet,’ she said. ‘I

wanted her to feel comfortable

doing whatever her natural

instincts told her to do.’

But it took just one night out-

doors for Peggy to prove she is a

house hog. ‘She was grunting at

the door, desperate to get in,

and before we knew it, she was

running around the house

exploring,’ Mrs Buck said.

‘She really is like a newborn

baby and brings out all my

maternal instincts. She sleeps,

eats, and will occasionally kick

about a bit before drifting back

off.’ Peggy, who is fed organic

oats and goats’ milk, will even-

tually grow to about 7ft long and

weigh up to 40st but there is no

chance she will end up on the

dinner table – Mrs Buck became

a vegan in 2015 after four years

as a vegetarian and runs online

food resource The Vegan Owl.

‘I’m well aware just how big

she’s going to get, but that’s fine,

we live in an old farmhouse – so

we have the space,’ she said.

‘There’ll always be a home here

for Peggy. We just want her to live

out her natural life. The only kind

of sausages anyone will be eating

here will be vegan versions.’

She and Mr Buck, 53, a care-

taker, are happy to have Peggy

nestling between them on the

sofa – while she’s small.

‘Although, if she’s going to

insist on watching telly with us

every night, we might have to

get a bigger armchair,’ Mrs Buck

said. ‘In fact, it might be best if

she got her own sofa!’

Pig in a blanket: Peggy takes a snooze with her cuddly toy. Right: The piglet with Mrs Buck’s terrier Eddie

By Henry Goodwin

WHEN vegan campaigner Lisa Buck

was told that a piglet had been found

wandering by the roadside, she took

it as a sign she had to save its bacon.

For, the previous day, she had been upset

to see a farm truck loaded with pigs. Now

not only has Mrs Buck adopted the piglet,

which she has named Peggy, the foundling

even snuggles up on the sofa as she and

husband Bill watch TV.

Peggy was rescued from the side of the road

in Norfolk by a family friend 12 days ago.

Mrs Buck’s son Ellis, 24, rang to tell her the

news and she immediately offered to care for the

piglet. Mrs Buck, 48, who lives near Diss, is no

stranger to caring for lost animals, having spent

much of her life tending wounded birds.

As soon as she obtained the permit needed to

keep a pig, she dashed round to pick up Peggy.

Pink and

perky!

Peggy with

Lisa Buck

yesterday

Porker is rescued from roadside...

and given new home by a vegan

Picture: ALBAN DONOHOE

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