ReDormin Sleep Study

ReDormin Sleep Study

Having a partner in your bed at night means you'll enjoy better quality sleep and increase your snooze time by 21 minutes. However should your partner snore, be prepared to sacrifice 14 minutes of your sleep time.

As part of a national sleep study investigating Australia's sleeping habits, commissioned by natural medicine company Flordis (maker of ReDormin®) in the lead up to the end of Australian Daylight Savings (April 7), a group of experts - including sleep experts and a mathematician - have developed a formula for a quality night's sleep.

With 1 in 3 Australians suffering from sleeplessness and insomnia* at some stage in their lives the equation shows the simple science behind sleep that every person can apply to assure themselves of some quality shut eye.

According to the ReDormin Formula for a Quality Night's Sleep, having a small child share your bed decreases your quality of sleep but you're more likely to sleep for an extra 24 minutes.

The formula also suggests sex before sleep encourages a restful slumber and means we can enjoy six more minutes of sleep.

The ReDormin Sleep Study uncovered that while there is near unanimous agreement amongst Aussies that a quality night's sleep is important to their overall health and well-being (99% of respondents) only a third of those surveyed (34%) actually have a quality night's sleep on a regular basis (almost every night or more often).

When it comes to sleep, the majority of Australians (87%) agree that going to bed at regular times will help establish a regular sleep pattern. However, the results suggest we aren't following a regular sleep routine with more than 4 in 5 Aussies (83%) wishing they would wake up refreshed in the morning, 7 in 10 respondent's (70%) wanting to stop waking up during the night and nearly two thirds (59%) of people desiring to fall asleep faster.

Commenting on the ReDormin Sleep Study, leading Australian sleep expert Dr Carmel Harrington, who has a PhD in Sleep Medicine, said as our lives and daily schedules become busier, sleep is the first activity to be sacrificed when actually it's the most vital part of our daily routine for overall well-being.

'The body undergoes many changes during sleep that are important for on-going good health and energy. It's not enough to simply sleep longer to achieve these health benefits - it's about maintaining quality sleep on a regular basis," said Dr Harrington.

'As the ReDormin Sleep Study reveals, falling asleep faster, reducing wakefulness during the night and waking refreshed are all high on people's wish lists. Following simple sleep hygiene rules - such as establishing a regular bed time and creating a -sleep-friendly' bedroom that is dark and quiet - all assist people in having a quality night's sleep."

The ReDormin Sleep Study also suggests Australians are interested in natural therapies to help them sleep better with more than half of those surveyed (53%) indicating positively.

'Everyone suffers from sleeplessness and insomnia at certain times during their life – whether it's due to stress or long work hours, or caring for a young child. For people struggling to retune their body clock or prepare for a time change such as the end of Daylight Savings, instead of reaching for a sleeping pill they should firstly consider a clinically proven natural medicine like ReDormin that helps you get to sleep easier and more importantly, maintain sleep," Dr Harrington said.

Dr Rupert McCallum, one of Australia's most prominent mathematicians with a PhD in Advanced Mathematics from University of New South Wales, Sydney, said the idea behind the ReDormin Sleep Study was to get some kind of quantitative measure on which of these factors were most relevant to the overall level of satisfaction with a night's sleep.

'The ReDormin Formula for a Quality Night's Sleep involved what mathematicians call a 'linear relationship" between the variable indicating the level of satisfaction with the night's sleep, and other variables which were analysed in the survey. The variable in the formula were identified as having the most bearing on the overall level of satisfaction," Dr McCallum said.

Australian sleep expert Dr Carmel Harrington has compiled ten tips to enjoy a quality night's sleep – every night.

1. Make sleep a priority.
2. Establish a regular sleep routine.
3. Make your bedroom dark to encourage sleep.
4. Develop a relaxed attitude towards sleep.
5. Let natural light into your bedroom as soon as you wake in the morning.
6. Turn off the TV (and computers, iPads, tablets, mobile phones and other devices).
7. Avoid exercise within 3 hours of going to bed.
8. Stay clear of stimulants and alcohol in the late afternoon/ evening and avoid going to bed straight after a heavy meal.
9. Consider evidence-based natural medicines (such as ReDormin®) rather than sleeping pills to help restore normal sleeping patterns.
10. Consider downloading sleep cycle and white noise apps to improve sleep quality.

ReDormin** is a natural medicine, supported by clinical evidence, to relieve sleeplessness and insomnia. It is available in selected Pharmacies, Naturopaths and Health Food Stores around Australia. For more information on ReDormin, visit www.flordis.com.au