Feeling tired and worried you're not getting enough sleep? You're not alone. Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety or even an unhealthy diet, and many of us will suffer from it at some stage in our lives.

Four strong-willed people from Plymouth have taken on the ultimate challenge this spring as they bid to shed their unhealthy lifestyles and make some big changes.

One You Plymouth, part of Livewell Southwest, is inspiring people in Plymouth to get healthier, and its experts are on hand every step of the way to help those in need of a little guidance - whether they want to lose weight, stop smoking, relieve stress or deal with other health-related concerns.

Brian Playfair, 37, took on the One You Plymouth challenge in the hope that he would not only get fitter and healthier but also improve his sleep quality.

Brian was a Royal Naval Medical Assistant

Brian, a dad of two who lives in Keyham, has been through a traumatic couple of years, following the death of one son and a cancer diagnosis for the second. Now a public sector worker, he wants to make major changes to his lifestyle.

Working long and unsociable hours, he finds it difficult to plan and prepare healthy meals and has in the past often finds himself travelling to the nearest garage or filling station to stock up on snacks. Despite occasionally walking to find addresses he needs for work, mostly he spends his time in the car, meaning during his long work hours he is barely active.

As a result of these factors, as well as his PTSD following his time on the front-line, Brian has often struggled with his sleeping pattern. Over the last two to three years, Brian says he has had many a restless night and struggled to function properly the next day as a result.

Despite his long working hours, Brian hopes to make big strides to improve his sleep

He is now seeing positive changes and finding he is often waking thinking, 'I don't remember waking up through the night', as he is going to bed at the same time every night and reading for half an hour beforehand to relax and wind down.

Despite this, he took our sleep test and fell asleep in 12 minutes, meaning he is still relatively sleep deprived.

If you struggle with your sleep like Brian, take the sleep test here to find out more.

The harsh realities of having a lack of sleep

Sleeping less can make you gain weight. Studies have shown people who sleep less than seven hours a day are 30 per cent more likely to be obese than those who sleep for nine hours or more.

One in three of us suffers from poor sleep, with stress, computers and taking work home often blamed. However, the cost of all those sleepless nights is more than just bad moods and a lack of focus. And regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.

Brian Playfair is one of the One You Plymouth candidates and took the sleep test to find out whether he is sleep deprived

Brian's work is organised into shifts and shift work is well-known for affecting how well we sleep. But it can often be the way we try to cope with this that actually perpetuates the sleep problems.

When you are on normal daytime patterns, keep a regular sleep routine then if you know you have a shift that is out of the ordinary coming up, gradually change your sleep/wake time three days prior in line with this if possible.

How the sleep test works

The Onset Latency Test which was developed by Nathaniel Kleitman, a professor from the University of Chicago, is a good tool to see if you are sleep deprived.

To find out whether you are getting enough sleep, lie down in a quiet, darkened room in the early afternoon clutching a spoon, which you hold over the edge of the bed/sofa.

Place a metal tray on the floor underneath the dangling spoon. Check the time then close your eyes. When you nod off, your grip will relax, the spoon will clatter onto the tray and wake you up. The question is: do you fall asleep and if so, how soon after you lie down?

To carry out the test you will need a metal spoon and a baking tray

Brian managed to doze off in 12 minutes - in the grand scheme of things, this isn't too bad as 15 minutes or ,more is considered to be a safe amount of time within which to fall asleep. However, it does show that he is struggling to get a good night's rest.

If you fall asleep within five minutes of closing your eyes you are severely sleep deprived. Or if you manage to drop off within 10 minutes this indicates you're having trouble getting a full night's rest.

Drop the spoon after 15 minutes and the likelihood is that your sleeping pattern is working well for you.

Brian's reaction to the experiment

Brian says he will be looking at ways he can further improve his sleep

He was shocked by the results, and said: "I wasn't expecting it to be that quick. I was quite tired anyway but very conscious of holding the spoon in my hand and you get quite a fright when you drop the spoon.

"I was comfortable enough but definitely didn't expect to fall asleep that quickly - it's interesting to see the results. I'm not worried but I'm going to revisit things that can help to improve my sleep."

What can happen if I don't get enough sleep?

Everyone’s experienced the fatigue, short temper and lack of focus that often follow a poor night’s sleep. An occasional night without sleep makes you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won’t harm your health.

When you fall asleep your muscles relax resulting in you dropping the spoon



Nine simple lifestyle changes to help improve your sleep:

In order to have a regular sleep pattern it helps to have a good routine - this prepares your body for sleep. Go to bed only when you feel tired enough to sleep. Then get up at your usual time. This may mean you will spend less time actually in bed, but more of the time in bed asleep.

Do something calming, try breathing exercises, relax your muscles, visualize a relaxing scene and attempt meditation.

The temperature of the room, how light it is and the amount of noise pollution in the room can all affect how you sleep. It's difficult to get restful sleep on a mattress that's too soft or too hard or a bed that's too small or old.



Use of bright screens on laptops and phones in the evening has been shown to negatively affect sleep. Giving yourself some tech-free time can better prepare you for sleep.

If you are suffering from continuous pain, discomfort or an illness of some kind, this can leave you struggling to relax while in bed and in turn taking much longer to get off to sleep. Visit your GP to investigate potential causes and get the help you need to treat them.

Over-indulging on caffeine, alcohol and sugary foods may feel as if it gives you short-term help but they can all disturb your sleep patterns.

Doing regular exercise can help you to get a better night's sleep because it makes you more physically tired. Also, smoking can cause sleep issues because nicotine is a stimulant.


Common advice by health professionals is that if you are unable to sleep it is best to get up and not try to force yourself to nod off. Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again, then go back to bed. But if a lack of sleep is persistent and affecting your daily life, then make an appointment to see your GP.

What if I do shift work?

There are simple changes you can make which can improve your sleep including: Having a cup of caffeine before your shift, followed by bright-light-exposure, getting outdoors before it gets dark as well as eating a good meal and doing some invigorating exercise.

Remember: Results won’t be instant when you’re trying to change habits, stay consistent.

Reach them: Visit the One You Plymouth here or like the Facebook page and contact the One You Plymouth team for lifestyle advice, Eat Well, health checks via phone on: 01752 437177.