Tag: sleep

Mobile screen exposure can lead to poor sleep

Mobile phone use at night time is having a negative impact on young people’s sleep and mental wellbeing, according to a new report.

The Glasgow University report, commissioned by the Scottish Government, summarises the findings from a systematic review of the evidence on adolescent mobile device screen time and the impact on sleep.

It found that:

  • sleep quality is negatively influenced by mobile phone use in general and social media in particular
  • night time mobile use and problematic social media use were linked to depressed mood through experiences of poor quality sleep
  • experiencing online bullying is directly linked to shorter sleep as a result of obsessing about distressing thoughts and emotions

Welcoming publication of the report on a visit to a sleep awareness session run by Sleep Scotland at Montessori Arts School in Edinburgh, Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “There are many positive things about technology, screens and social media.

“However in a society where so many young people have access to a mobile device and social media platforms, it is important that we get an accurate picture of the impact that can have on their sense of emotional wellbeing and their ability to get a proper and uninterrupted sleep.

“Of course it’s not just young people who have a phone or tablet by the side of their bed every night but this research shows the potentially negative impact on children and young people.

“This review is a significant piece of work that gives us a much better insight into the connections between screen time, particularly social media use, and disrupted sleep. While the evidence base is still developing, the findings demonstrate why, in February last year, we announced that we would be providing advice, specific to Scotland, on the healthy use of social media and screen time.

“That advice – being co-produced by young people and for young people – will be published in spring and will add to the help and guidance available to help ensure young people can lead heathier lives.”

Sleep Scotland Interim Chief Executive Karen Jenkinson said: “Poor sleep is a huge problem in our society, and excessive screen time is a contributing factor, leading to increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression. It’s time to wake up to the importance of sleep for our health and wellbeing.”

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Concern over effect of social media on young people’s wellbeing

A national report, carried out every four years, has provided insights into child mental health in Scotland.

The 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Scotland, led by researchers at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow and funded by NHS Health Scotland, provides data on the health and wellbeing of the nation’s young people.

Key findings include the majority (85%) of young people reported high life satisfaction in 2018, while almost one in five adolescents rated their health as excellent.

However, the report also revealed the lowest levels of adolescent confidence seen in 24 years, with only 51% of adolescents in Scotland reporting often or always feeling confident in themselves.

Beyond mental health and wellbeing, the HBSC study covers areas such as sleep habits, time spent online, physical activity as well as school and home life. The report presents data collected from surveys with a representable sample of 11, 13 and 15-year-olds in Scotland in 2018. The surveys were conducted in schools, with all pupils in the selected classes asked to fill in the confidential questionnaire anonymously.

This is the 8th consecutive World Health Organisation (WHO) cross-national HBSC survey in which Scotland has participated, providing data on the health of the nation’s young people over the last 28 years. A wider pan global report on the health of young people across the world is due to be published later this year.

Lead author of the study Dr Jo Inchley, from the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, said: “These latest findings from HBSC provide a comprehensive picture of young people’s health across Scotland.

“We’ve seen significant improvements in recent years in areas such as substance use and eating behaviours. But at the same time, new challenges such as social media are increasingly impacting on how young people live their lives and these can have a significant impact on their wellbeing.

“This report helps us to better understand the challenges young people face and the areas where more support and investment is needed.”

Dr Rory Mitchell, Public Health Intelligence Principal, NHS Health Scotland said: “This report highlights some positive trends as well as ongoing challenges. The data shows that children from wealthier families tend to report better health and wellbeing than those from poorer families. This highlights the need for a continued focus on tackling health inequalities in Scotland. 

“The information provided by this long-running study has enormous value in helping to improve health and wellbeing. Using such information to make a real difference requires a collaborative effort that co-ordinates local and national action. The formation of Public Health Scotland in April this year will contribute to this.”

Findings of the report include:

Mental health and wellbeing

  • 22% adolescents rated their health as ‘excellent’ but 15–year-old girls were the least likely to report ‘excellent’ health (12%).
  • The prevalence of multiple health complaints is at its highest for both boys and girls since 1994. Overall 35% of young people experienced multiple health complaints every week. The most common health complaints were sleep difficulties, feeling nervous and feeling irritable.
  • 37% adolescents were classified as having low mood (33% boys, 41% girls) and 14% were at risk of depression (11% boys, 17% girls). Both low mood and risk of depression increased with age.
  • All the mental health and wellbeing indicators were significantly associated with family affluence, with poorer outcomes for those from families with lower affluence.

Sleep

  • The average sleep duration on weekdays was 8.3 hours for 13-year-olds and 7.8 hours for 15 year olds – the recommended sleep for teenagers is 8 to 10 hours each night.
  • The proportion of young people reporting sleep difficulties more than once a week has increased from 23% in 2014 to 30% in 2018.
  • Among 13 and 15-year-olds, sleep difficulties were more common among girls than boys and young people from lower affluence families were more likely to report difficulties in getting to sleep than those from higher affluence families (25% versus 35%).

Social media and online communication

  • Nearly all (95%) young people said they owned a smartphone with connection to the internet.
  • The vast majority (92%) of 15-year-olds kept their smartphones in their bedroom at night.
  • Preference for online (versus face-to-face) communication was higher amongst 15-year-olds than 11 and 13-year-olds.
  • Nearly one in ten (9%) adolescents were categorised as having problematic social media use.

At home and school life

  • Overall 38% of young people reported high teacher support
  • The proportion of girls who find it easy to talk to their father has increased from 48% in 1990 to 67% in 2018.
  • 36% of young people reported eating a meal with their family every day.
  • Vigorous physical activity was higher among boys than girls. 47%) of boys and 41% of girls reported taking part in leisure time vigorous exercise at least four times a week. The gender difference was greatest at age 15 (40% vs 29%)

Jo Inchley added: “Many young people report high life satisfaction and have good support from their families and friends. However, the declines in mental health and increase in sleep difficulties are concerning.

“There’s been a small but steady increase in the proportion of girls taking part in physical activity in their free time but overall levels are still very low and screen time has been increasing at a much faster rate.

“It’s important that young people have opportunities to be active and spend time outdoors as these can have substantial benefits for both their physical and mental wellbeing.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “As a coalition whose members provide support to vulnerable children and young people we are deeply concerned by a lowering in confidence levels as outlined in this report, which indicates that just over half of adolescents report often or always feeling confident in themselves.

“In addition to this, one in ten adolescents are categorised as having problematic social media use and screentime use has been increasing.

“Clearly social media is having a major impact on young people and their wellbeing, as they often try to meet unrealistic standards as seen on social media, leading to anxiety and depression. This is especially relevant to girls.

“The fact that over 90 per cent of 15-year olds keep their smartphones in the bedroom at night, with a potential impact on sleep patterns is worrying. It is notable that the proportion of young people reporting sleep difficulties more than once a week has increased from 23 per cent in 2014 to 30 per cent in 2018.

“Now we have a greater awareness of the challenges it is vital that there is greater research to gain a clearer understanding of the link between social media and wellbeing, which is also impacting on confidence.

“There is a desperate need to educate young people on how to use social media healthily and how social media promotes unrealistic expectations.”

Constantly craving sleep? Here’s how to fight fatigue

Do you crave sleep? Do you drag yourself from your bed in the morning already looking towards the moment you can climb back under the duvet? Or does it sometimes feel as though you’re stuck in first gear and just can’t find the energy to shift up? If so, you’re not alone.

Unexplained tiredness is one of the most common reasons for people to see their GP. At any given time, one in five people feel unusually tired, and one in ten have prolonged fatigue, but it’s not always easy to understand why we feel this way and what, if anything, we can do about it; many of us simply accept tiredness as an unavoidable consequence of our busy lives and carry on regardless.

But feeling tired all the time can have an enormous impact on our quality of life – and could be an indication that there’s something medically wrong – so it’s something you shouldn’t ignore.

Fatigue can be caused by many factors and these often work in combination with each other. Jermaine Izukanne , physiologist at AXA PPP healthcare looks at the symptoms and causes of fatigue and offers up some top tips to get you firing on all cylinders this festive season.

What is fatigue?

Fatigue is a feeling of extreme tiredness. While there is a difference between physical and mental fatigue, they often occur together. Fatigue is most prevalent in individuals who are defined as middle aged (45 to 65 years); research also suggests that this demographic sleep the least [3], which doesn’t help matters!

Symptoms of fatigue

Feeling tired is a general – and obvious – symptom of fatigue, but there are others, including:

  • headache
  • dizziness
  • slowed response and reflexes
  • lack of concentration and poor decision-making ability
  • lack of motivation
  • aching and weak muscles
  • feeling moody and irritable

These symptoms can be a result of various causes, as listed below and some of these causes can work together in combination. 

Causes of fatigue 

Medical causes – fatigue is a symptom commonly seen in a variety of illnesses, including sleep apnoea, diabetes and heart disease. It can be a sign of kidney disease, hypothyroidism and anaemia; and is also an early indicator of pregnancy! So, if you are experiencing frequent or prolonged periods of tiredness or any of the symptoms described above it would be advisable to see your GP to rule out a medical cause.

Workplace and screen-related causes – work-related stress and prolonged or excessive screen time during the working day have been shown to cause feelings of fatigue [4], as well as headaches, sore eyes and other unpleasant symptoms that exacerbate that feeling of tiredness. They can also make it harder for us to sleep.

Even if your brain doesn’t go into overdrive with work worries the moment they get a shoe-in, there’s the physiological effect of looking at a screen for a large part of the day.

Numerous studies have concluded that the blue light from screens can affect the amount and quality of sleep we get, because it disrupts the body’s production of melatonin. This is the hormone that regulates our circadian rhythms and which would, in our natural state, be triggered by nightfall, helping us to feel tired and fall asleep at the end of the day.

Clocking up even more screen time, watching TV or catching up on social media when we get home ramps up the effect of a day spent working at a computer, exacerbating the problem. By way of example, in one small study, participants who spent 4 hours reading e-books before bed for 5 nights produced 55% less melatonin than participants who read print books; they also reported being more alert before bed, taking longer to fall asleep and being more tired in the morning.

Lifestyle choices – excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol and/or drugs, lack of exercise and poor dietary choices are common causes of fatigue that can quickly lead to unhelpful cycles that amplify the effects. For example, how often do we turn to coffee to kick start our day or a glass of something in the evening to perk ourselves up, when actually both are sleep disruptors that may be contributing to our fatigue in the first place?

Similarly, heavy food and a lack of fitness aren’t the greatest foundations for getting active, and if you’re not exercising your fitness is going to decrease and you may find yourself with more sedentary time when you’re inclined to snack.

We’re not saying you should stop doing the things you enjoy, or be out training every day, just that if you’ve ruled other causes out and you’re still feeling sluggish there may be elements of your lifestyle you can tweak to help tackle your tiredness.

Stress and mental fatigue – depression and grief can place a mental strain on the mind, which can affect motivation and lead to irritability. This makes perfect sense, but what may be less obvious, and is important to bear in mind, is that it’s not just the bad stuff that takes its toll.

Positive events, such as getting married, moving house – even going on holiday – can be similarly stressful and draining, but it can be harder to accept that we may be struggling when we’re ‘supposed’ to be happy. The solution? Try to accept it, get a little perspective, delegate if you can, and focus on the destination, not the getting there.

What else can I do prevent and overcome fatigue?

The good news is that for most of us fatigue doesn’t have to be a fact of life and there are plenty of simple everyday things you can do help boost your energy and banish long-term tiredness for good.

Nutrition

Adequate nutrition is essential for a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet, and can help boost your energy. Be sure to always eat breakfast: a healthy breakfast such as rolled oats topped with banana and blueberries provides you with vitamins and minerals that stimulate the process of energy production.

Some examples of energy boosting foods include:

  • Rolled oats
  • Fruit and vegetables
  • Hummus
  • Edamame
  • Chickpeas
  • Brown rice
  • Nuts and seeds (flax, chia and pumpkin seeds)

Feeling fatigued could also be the result of having an iron deficiency. Consider eating adequate amounts of iron rich foods, such as:

  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Iron fortified cereals
  • Whole grains like quinoa and amaranth
  • Leafy greens
  • Baked potatoes

Ensure that you’re also drinking plenty of water to prevent dehydration, as this is known to decrease energy.

Take a look at our article for more nutrition tips to help increase your energy levels from AXA PPP healthcare registered nutritionist, Georgina Camfield.

Sleep

Sleep is arguably the most important contributing factor affecting our energy levels, but something that’s frequently sacrificed thanks to a busy lifestyle. The Sleep Council’s latest survey found that almost three quarters (74%) of people in the UK sleep for less than 7 hours a night.

Much of how you feel when you are awake is impacted by the quality of your sleep, so getting long-lasting, good quality sleep is essential for our body to rejuvenate, build muscle and grow, as well as to resynthesize hormones and maintain energy levels.

When it comes to how much sleep we need, that’s very much down to the individual, but experts typically recommend aiming for around 7-9 hours a night.

Some tips for improving sleep:

  • Avoid bright lights, especially those coming from TV’s, laptops and e-readers; as we’ve seen this restricts the release of the chemical melatonin, which helps us fell sleepy and ready for bed.
  • Set a regular time for going to sleep and waking up to help your body get into a routine.
  • Refrain from doing work tasks late at night, as they can be stressful and keep you up awake.
  • Try taking time before bed to do something you find relaxing to clear your mind, reduce stress and prepare the body for sleep.
  • Refrain from eating heavy meals late at night and foods such as chocolate, fatty or spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol, all of which can disrupt sleep.
  • Try keeping track of sleep duration and quality using a Fitbit, or sleep trackers such as Sleep Cycle, Sleep Better or Calm. These can give you a better idea of your sleep patterns and help monitor whether any changes you make to your lifestyle or your routine have the desired effect.

You can find more tips and information from our clinical experts on our sleep hub. Or take a look at this recent article, where guest author and fitness expert Shona Vertue shares her tips for a better night’s sleep.

Exercise

While it might seem ironic that, when feeling exhausted, one way to tackle this is to do more physical activity, the relationship between exercise and an increase in energy levels is a well-established one. Regularly getting active has been found to decrease fatigue, increase physical health and good strength; it can also build up your resilience to stress.

Furthermore, physical activity can help to reduce fatigue by improving your quality of sleep. The better the quality of sleep you have, the easier it is for your body to regulate the necessary processes needed for day-to-day life.

By contrast, a lack of activity can lead to weight gain and deconditioning, making it more difficult to carry out tasks that require physicality, such walking up the stairs. If this is something you struggle with, it’s really worth trying to increase your activity levels.

It may feel difficult at first, but it’s one of the most effective ways of boosting your overall health and wellbeing and the more exercise you do, the more energised you’ll feel. This is because your body will start to create more mitochondria, which are the ‘powerhouses’ of your cells; with increased mitochondria, your body can produce energy more efficiently.

Regarding mental fatigue and stress, exercise promotes the release of ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins. This can help to create a ‘buzz’ within the body that makes you feel better about yourself, and motivated to exercise more regularly.

Some top tips for increasing your activity levels include:

  • Aim to do regular moderate intensity exercise for a minimum of 30 mins a day, five days a week
  • If time to exercise is minimal, try to fit something into your day at work e.g. a 15-minute jog/brisk walk during your lunch break
  • Set goals for yourself so that you have something to work towards and increase motivation
  • Pay attention to how your body and mind react to exercise: did you sleep better? Did you feel better the next day?

For more tips, information and inspiration to get you moving more and keep you motivated, from our team of physiologists, personal trainers and wellbeing programme managers, visit our fitness and exercise hub. 

Next steps

Fatigue affects us all at some point in our daily lives, whether it be from a long day at work, an illness or stress. And while in the short term you my feel like relaxing on the sofa with some snacks, catching up on your favourite box set, try to consider more effective ways of fighting long term fatigue, like those listed in this article, and see how it makes you feel.

It’s important to see your GP if your fatigue persists, as this could be the result of an underlying medical condition.

Finally, if you have a specific question or concern about any aspect of your or your family’s health, why not try our Ask the Expert service. Available around the clock, 365 days a year, this free information service allows you to ask the team of friendly and experienced nurses, midwives and pharmacists about any health concerns you may have. Simply submit your question online and we’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as we can – usually within a couple of hours.

For more information, please visit AXA PPP healthcare.