New Zealand is facing a big sleep health issue. According to a sleep advocate, about a third of adults in the country have trouble sleeping at any given time. This problem is not unique to New Zealand either. Worldwide, many people are missing out on that all-important shuteye, affecting individual wellbeing, workplace productivity, and public health.
A recent Lancet article highlighted how insufficient sleep contributes to a wide range of health risks, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, cognitive decline, and increased mortality. The impact goes beyond personal wellbeing, contributing to significant economic costs through increased healthcare expenses, lost productivity, and safety risks such as workplace accidents and traffic collisions.
The good news is there are things we can do to improve our sleep. In the latest episode of the Revolutionaries of Wellbeing podcast, ‘Breaking Burnout Culture,’ sleep specialist Bernice Tuffery shared eye-opening insights into sleep habits, insomnia, and effective evidence-based treatments.
“At any one time, we’re seeing about a third of adults in New Zealand having difficulty sleeping. So if it’s not you, it’s somebody very close to you that’s struggling,” Tuffery says.
The problem, she says, is made worse by a lack of awareness and access to effective treatments. Many people try ineffective methods or just suffer in silence, not realising that their attempts to improve sleep might actually be making the problem worse.
Common misunderstandings about managing sleep problems can also compound the issue, she says. For example, many people try to get more sleep by going to bed earlier, sleeping later, or taking long naps.
Reflecting on her own experience before becoming a sleep advocate, Tuffery says, “I’d been trying really hard to sort my sleep out but I’d been using the wrong information. So I’d accidentally made my insomnia worse with my thoughts and behaviours.”
As a trained cognitive behavioral therapist and author of Sleep Easy, she highlights that insomnia can be sustained by well-meaning but ineffective habits.
“Extending the time we try to sleep works against our biology,” Tuffery explains. “It makes it very difficult for our body to sleep, or we end up with broken sleep, or we’re in bed for a long time but sleep very inefficiently.” All of which can make us even more tired.
So what to do?
Tuffery recommends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as the go-to treatment for sleep disorders. This evidence-based approach focuses on changing thoughts and habits around sleep, offering a natural alternative to medication without side effects.
According to Stanford Health, CBT-I focuses on changing sleep-related behaviours and addressing factors that contribute to insomnia, such as conditioned arousal and ineffective sleep habits. This therapy helps patients overcome barriers to improve their sleep, often resulting in significant improvements after just a few sessions.
Treatment can be delivered in both group and individual formats. CBTI combines techniques like stimulus control, sleep restriction, and managing arousal to enhance sleep quality.
“It’s great because it’s all natural. It’s about changing your thoughts and habits around sleep,” Tuffery says. “Insomnia is actually a learned behaviour, which is good news because it means you can unlearn it and learn more helpful things.”
“CBT-I is the gold-standard evidence-based approach. It’s recognised internationally, and it’s effective for 70% of people,” Tuffery says.
By using CBT-I techniques, people can significantly improve their sleep quality and overall wellbeing. Tuffery’s approach emphasises understanding sleep biology and aligning our behaviors with our natural rhythms.
“Once you understand the biology of sleep and how critical light is to determining what your body clock is doing, then you realise that we really are messing with our sleep with light, whether it be from screens or just from electric lights in the house,” she says.
Better sleep doesn’t just improve personal health – it can lead to increased productivity, better mental health, and lower risk of chronic diseases linked to long-term sleep deprivation.
Tuffery’s work highlights the need for more education and access to CBT-I in New Zealand. By raising awareness and providing tools for self-help, she aims to enable people to take control of their sleep health.
“People will help themselves if they know how to help themselves. And that’s a bit of a gap at the moment in terms of the science and the people,” Tuffery says.
As New Zealand tackles its sleep health issue, Tuffery’s insights offer a fresh perspective. By understanding insomnia as a learned behaviour that can be unlearned, individuals and healthcare providers can approach sleep disorders with new optimism and effective, evidence-based strategies.
Tuffery stresses the importance of knowing the difference between being tired and being sleepy. Tiredness is physical or mental exhaustion, while sleepiness involves specific body signals like dry eyes, yawning, and head nodding.
“When you’re sleepy, that’s your body telling you it’s time to go to sleep,” she says. “It means your sleep pressure has built up to the point where your body is signalling you to get to bed.”
For those struggling with sleep, Tuffery recommends sticking to consistent sleep schedules, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, exercising during the day, and creating a sleep-friendly bedroom.
She also advises avoiding screens for at least an hour before bedtime, as the blue light can reduce melatonin production and mess with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
Key takeaways:
- Sleep isn’t optional – it’s a biological necessity that impacts every part of our lives, from how we perform at work to our health and overall well-being.
- Insomnia is often a learned behaviour that can be unlearned. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) helps change thoughts and habits around sleep.
- Good sleep hygiene is crucial for better sleep quality. This includes sticking to a regular sleep schedule, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, and creating a sleep-friendly environment.
- There’s a difference between being tired and sleepy. Sleepiness comes with physical signs like yawning and rubbing your eyes, showing your body is ready for sleep.
- Workplaces can help employees sleep better by raising awareness, including sleep questions in well-being surveys, and providing sleep education that goes beyond basic tips.
