Welcome back to Stylist’s Sleep Diaries, where we take a deep dive into one of the most important (and elusive) factors in our day-to-day lives: sleep. To help us understand more about it, we invite women to share their habits with our sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan for analysis.  

Age: 32

Occupation: Writer

How much water do you drink on average per day? 5-6 glasses.

How much caffeine do you drink on average per day? 2-3 cups of coffee.

What time do you go to bed at night? 12am

What time do you wake up in the morning? 7am

How often do you exercise? I work out 2-3 times a week – a mixture of HIIT and strength workouts. 

Do you eat breakfast within 60 minutes of rising? No, usually an hour after.

“Since my early 20s, I’ve struggled with broken, unpredictable sleep. I often wake up during the night due to disturbing dreams about my partner cheating on me or leaving me (or because my child comes in to wake me up). When I sleep through the night, I end up feeling exhausted in the morning. It’s always been a lot, but being a parent with a busy job means it’s really started taking a toll on my energy levels.

“Alongside my work as a writer, I also have a separate side hustle, which means you’ll often find me working during the evenings and at weekends. Working from home with a child also makes my work a lot more challenging, as I have to juggle both.  

“Outside of work, I try my best to live a healthy lifestyle. I don’t smoke and only drink on special occasions. I try to limit my caffeine consumption (I have two or three cups of coffee a day, and never after 3pm) and have plenty of water throughout the day. Exercise is also a big part of my routine: I work out two or three times a week, doing a mixture of HIIT and strength training to build both my cardio and muscular fitness.

“With all of this in mind, I’m a bit stuck for options when it comes to improving my sleep. I’d love to learn more about what it takes to have good sleep so I can introduce some new habits into my life. What would you advise?”

“It seems the demands of juggling parenthood and your work are taking their toll,” says sleep expert and physiologist Dr Ramlakhan. “I want to help you to find the energy to meet the demands of your life. 

“The starting point is what I call the ‘clean up’. This involves trying my five non-negotiables for better sleep for the next 10–14 days, and then checking in on your energy levels and quality of sleep. I can almost guarantee that there will have been an improvement. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can make a difference.”

She continues: “When it comes to your dreams, the ‘clean up’ should help to reduce the intensity of them. You can also help yourself by following a journaling practice that I call ‘vomit journaling’. No, it doesn’t sound very nice but it’s a powerful technique for getting rid of subconscious worries. 

“How do you do it? Set a timer for 5–10 minutes and aim to ‘vomit’ your worries out with pen and paper (not electronically), with no need to edit or punctuate. You’re a writer but there’s no need for perfectionism with this technique. The aim is to unearth and get rid of the worries so that they don’t take hold during your sleep.”

Images: Getty