Is it normal to always feel tired?

With modern, busy lifestyles, many people may feel that the quality and quantity of their sleep is not sufficient. As well as consistently feeling tired and drained, poor quality sleep can significantly impact on our ability to function and can mean we struggle with daily challenges and responsibilities.

In this informative article, highly respected lifestyle medicine physician, longevity coach and general practitioner, Dr Alka Patel, shares her expert insight on improving sleep habits and the power of harassing sleep data in making informed and impactful lifestyle changes.

How common are sleep problems?

Do you ever feel like you're not getting enough sleep? Chances are, you're not alone. Sixty-two per cent of adults worldwide feel they don’t sleep well. But what if I told you that there's a way to get more out of the sleep you are getting? Not just more sleep, but better quality sleep.

How is this possible? It’s possible by understanding your sleep data, so you can make small changes that have a big impact on how long you sleep, how well you sleep, and how refreshed you wake.

To what extent is it normal to feel tired?

Have you ever woken up and thought I don’t want to get out of bed, I’m still so tired? Have you ever hit the midpoint of the day and lost focus because you feel tired? Have you ever reached the end of the day feeling exhausted? Everyone will have answered yes to at least one of those scenarios.

Being tired is so common that we now normalise it, or even wear it as a badge of honour- “I’m so tired, because I’m so busy…”. However, being tired is not normal. As a human, you have not been designed to be tired, but rather to be energised, to have vitality and vigour, to thrive and flourish – that’s how we’ve been designed to grow and evolve. Sleep plays a huge part in energy and evolution which is why instead of sabotaging it, we need to support it.

How can I use sleep data to support my sleep?

Sleep data is information that is captured about your sleep patterns. This can include things like how long it takes you to fall asleep, how long you sleep, how many times you wake up during the night, how long you spend in each stage of sleep, and more. This data is captured by wearable devices like data rings or fitness trackers and smartwatches, as well as apps that are specifically designed for tracking sleep.

There are a few different ways that you can then use this sleep data to improve your sleep quality. One way is to use it to identify patterns in your sleep. For example, if you notice that you tend to wake up a few times during the night around the same time, you can take steps to avoid waking up at that time and get precise about where you focus your sleep optimisation actions. Or, if you see it takes you a long time to fall asleep, you know that’s where to focus your attention.

Another way to use sleep data is to track your progress over time. This can help you see how well your current sleep habits are working for you and the impact of any changes.

If you're not using sleep data to improve your sleep quality, you're missing out on a valuable tool. By understanding your sleep patterns, you can make small changes that have a big impact on the quality and quantity of your sleep, and allow sleep to carry out all its essential functions in regeneration, repair, memory processing, emotional processing, energy creation and more.

What practices can you recommend to help people improve their sleep?

Here’s 5 steps to SLEEP - Stimulants, Light, Emotions, Environment and Power Naps.

• Stimulants – avoid coffee after 2pm and avoid alcohol in the evenings
• Light – step out into the morning light every day, just for a few minutes, even on a cloudy day
• Emotions – journal before you go to bed, focusing on positive emotions
• Environment – avoid using your phone two hours before bed
• Power nap – take a five to twenty minute nap in the day for a quick recharge

If you are interested in improving your sleep and you wish to book a consultation with lifestyle medicine physician, longevity coach and general practitioner, Dr Alka Patel, you can do so by visiting her Top Doctors profile today.