Your nocturnal habits reveal more about your life
and health than you might think
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Don’t dismiss them – they
could be a sign you have
too much salt in your diet,
says Dr Sally Norton.
‘That matters because it’s
a risk factor for high bloodpressure and potential
stroke – or it could be a
sign of diabetes.’
A weak pelvic floor, or a
urine infection, could also
cause you to wake for the
loo, and some medicines
can have this effect, too.Getting the night
Right
You may imagine nightmares
are a sign you’re stressed,
but the truth is that you’re
just more likely to remember
a bad dream than a dull one,
explains Dr Neil Stanley
(thesleepconsultancy.com).
‘Night terrors – in which
people scream in their sleep- are different. They occur
in our deepest sleep, and we
have no memory of them.
During this phase of sleep
the conscious part of the
brain is asleep but other parts
of the brain may awaken. If
the part that controls walking
awakes, you’ll sleepwalk.
With a night terror, the part
that experiences fear awakes
and you may scream. It’s
not a sign of underlying
stress, but nightmares and
terrors are likely if your
sleep is too light – and
being stressed can cause
you to sleep lightly, so it’s
something to check out.’This could be a sign you
need to lose weight, says
Dr Di Cuffa. ‘Excess fat
around your neck pushes
against your airways,
narrowing them so you
can’t breathe so silently.
‘You may find you snore
more if you’ve drunk
alcohol, and that’s because
it relaxes your muscles.’
Snoring can also be
a sign of a deviated nasal
septum, enlarged tonsils,
or a floppy uvula, and,
if it’s really bad, you may
need surgery to correct it.If your partner notices
a 10-second pause
between snores, when
you’re not breathing at
all, you could have sleep
apnoea. It can cause
you to be starved of
oxygen and this puts
a strain on your heart.What to do
Lose weight, cut down
on your alcohol intake,
and see your GP if
your snoring is severe
or you seem to have
sleep apnoea.What to do
Don’t worry – you may need
to try relaxation techniques
to reduce stress and deepen
your sleep cycle.Nightmares and terrors Noturnal toilet trips
Snoring
What to do
Keep up your pelvic-floor
exercises. Stick to no more
than 6g salt a day in your
diet. Talk to your GP about
getting tested for diabetes
and underlying infections.