Cymraeg
Getting enough good sleep is an essential part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.
It’s now clear that a solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life.
Poor sleep means that our body is not able to heal and repair itself. Symptoms like pain are made worse when we do not get enough good quality sleep.
Why is sleep good for you?
- Sleep boosts immunity
- Sleep helps manage a healthy weight
- Sleep boots mental health and well being
- Sleep increases sex drive
- Sleep reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease
- Sleep increases fertility
Many people can also feel tired all of the time. This can be called fatigue.
We will all feel tired from time to time but if you are tired all of the time you may want to work out why.
It can be helpful to think about if there are any parts of your life that you find particularly tiring – it may be work or family related. Have there been any specific events that have started this feeling. It may stem from a major life event like illness of a family member, redundancy or bereavement.
Your GP would look to see if there is a physical or psychological cause to your tiredness but there are a number of things you could do to help yourself. You might not need to see your GP!
Ways to improve your sleep and beat tiredness
- Get moving – regular exercise decreases feeling of tiredness in the long-run
- Plan your day and pace yourself to avoid the boom and bust activity cycle
- Lose weight
- Eat regular, healthy meals
- Keep a regular bedtime process and make time for sleep (no naps!)
- Cut out caffeine and alcohol
- Practice mindfulness or relaxation
If you would like to have a printed copy of the information above, please use this link
Additional links and information
For more tips on getting good sleep, the following websites have really good resources and ideas:
Sleep and tiredness – NHS
Sleeping better | My Live Well With Pain
Fatigue matters
For information on services to help manage stress, find local opportunities to look after mental wellbeing, mindfulness information and much more, explore Melo. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has developed this website with partners to look after the mental wellbeing of people living and working in these areas; Torfaen, Newport, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent
Education Programmes For Patients (EPP) Support obtained through this programme can be very helpful, find them on Facebook or the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) website
IF you are a carer, please have a look at the resources on the carers page
