This week I have been considering sleep and its relation to our health and wellbeing.

Health professionals know the value of decent sleep; so why do so few of us ensure that we get those needed hours in bed and avoid the stress-laden scenarios that can keep you awake at night?

Many of us believe that the stress in our lives is not within our control and so there is little we can do about it. It is understandable; there is often nothing we can do about something that is beyond our control.

Most often, this stress can be about work.

However, there is a lot that those with the power to change working conditions can do to improve this. The EWTD (European Working Time Directive) tried to address this, but when implemented led to further challenges, particularly in work force planning, where workload at work and gaps in cover caused significant headaches, as more people work fewer hours, requiring a larger workforce.

We can start by gaining the courage to make the changes we wish to that we can. These may be working flexibly, changing posts or even moving house. Seriously, whilst that last one can be so stressful that I am not sure I would ever do it, if you live near a nightclub, a bakery or a dairy, you may want to move somewhere where it is quieter at night or early in the morning, and if you can, who is to stop you?

How about some smaller changes:

Your bedroom, is it cool, dark and quiet? If not, why not?

Your bed, is it comfortable? If not, why not?

Your evening routine, is it relaxing? If not, why not?

Try black-out blinds and a fan in the summer. Try to find a comfortable bed. Try to leave your phone away from your bedroom and get ready for sleep.

Thank you for reading and sleep well.