Sweet dreams are made of surprising things, new sleep research reveals.
The Australasian sleep conference, being held in Melbourne this week, explores how to help us rest easier and sleep deeper.
"Sleep is one of the few vital ingredients, along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, that humans need for good health," conference chairwoman Sarah Biggs said in a statement.
"But as much of this research suggests, Australians are not getting enough good-quality sleep, thanks to video games, mobile phones, their diet and arguments with their husband or wife."
We already know that falling asleep can be as simple as 4-7-8 and that getting our beauty sleep literally makes us look different. But, at this week's conference, experts are presenting the latest, and some of the most surprising, evidence about how to have a sweeter sleep.
1. Your dentist could be the key to help you stop snoring. "We're able to fit people with a customised mouth guard-like device that is worn while they sleep," Australian Dental Association Victorian branch vice-president Dr Andrew Gikas. "It prevents the airway from collapsing by supporting the jaw in a forward position and can be really effective in stopping snoring in its tracks."
"Most Australians wouldn't associate dentists with solving sleep problems, but in fact they're perfectly positioned to ask, observe and even treat snoring and other disordered sleep issues in the surgery," after the patient has had appropriate clinical assessment, ASA president Dr Nick Antic says.
2. Contrary to popular belief, going to bed angry may not be bad for your relationship. "We've found that going to bed angry is often the best choice," Lisa Earle McLeod says. The author – a 23-year marriage veteran – says it "allows partners to clear their thoughts, get some sleep, and make a date to resume the fight (which might seem less important in the light of day)". However, this strategy may be bad for your sleep. Researchers have found that arguing before bed keeps lovers up at night.
"Research suggests that relationship distress can precipitate or perpetuate insomnia," Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre researchers said.
3. Most of us believe there is meaning in our dreams. Indeed, research shows that dreaming helps us to process complex emotions in daily life and, as a result, regulate our feelings while we are awake. Interestingly, researchers have found that we are more social in dreams than in real life and, in our dreams, we get to play our more positive social interactions.
Freud hypothesised that dreams represented repressed desires. Sleep science has progressed a long way, but he may have been on to something, as we get to be the more popular, socially adept versions of ourselves in our dreams.
4. It's chicken or egg when it comes to sleep and diet. The less well we sleep, the more likely we are to seek a quick energy hit and eat junk. But the more junk we eat, the less likely we are to sleep well.
Bringing our bodies back into balance with proper nourishment can help break the cycle.
New research from the University of Adelaide has further established that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegies might help you fall asleep faster.
5. A restless mind makes it hard to rest. Recent research from Harvard found that learners practising mindfulness meditation had less insomnia, fatigue and depression at the end of six sessions.
Furthermore, new research by Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre has found that mindfulness, a meditation which focuses the mind's attention on breathing and the present moment, can help settle a racing mind and helps insomniacs sleep better.
The mindfulness technique can be practiced in two steps, according to the Harvard researchers:
Step 1: Choose a calming focus. Good examples are your breath, a sound ("Om"), a short prayer, a positive word (such as "relax" or "peace"), or a phrase ("breathing in calm, breathing out tension"; "I am relaxed"). If you choose a sound, repeat it aloud or silently as you inhale or exhale.
Step 2: Let go and relax. Don't worry about how you're doing. When you notice your mind has wandered, simply take a deep breath or say to yourself "thinking, thinking" and gently return your attention to your chosen focus.
