Sleep is vital for keeping the brain healthy in later life

Wearing socks in bed might seem the ultimate passion killer, but at least it will encourage a good night's sleep, according to experts.

A new report from the Global Council on Brain Health has highlighted the importance of sleeping properly to stay mentally sharp in later life.

Experts gave a list of tips to help the over-50s nod off more quickly and enjoy a long, uninterrupted slumber.

They advise wearing socks in bed to prevent being woken up by cold feet; keeping the dog out of the bedroom, and allowing 15 minutes of "worry time" before switching off from problems.

The experts also recommend abstaining from food, drink and alcohol for three hours before bedtime, avoiding arguments at night, keeping smartphones and tablets out of the bedroom, having a warm bath, and swapping white or blue lights for those with a more orange, restful glow.

The council, which was set up by Age UK and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), advised that everyone should aim for between seven and eight hours of sleep each night, but warned that sleeping becomes more difficult with age.

Sleeping badly for long spells can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, falls and cancer.

Prof James Goodwin, chief scientist at Age UK, said: "Sleeping is something we all tend to take for granted, but we really have to wise up to the fact that getting the right amount of good sleep is crucial as we age, helping to protect us from all kinds of problems that can affect our brains as well as our bodies.

"The message is that in order to stay mentally sharp in later life - something we all care passionately about - take care of your sleep.

"This Global Council report on sleep contains some excellent practical tips, all of them based on the best, most up-to-date evidence available from right across the world. It points out, for example, that letting your dog or cat sleep on your bed at night might be nice for them but if they disturb you it would be much better to shut them out.

"In addition, many of us spend a lot of the day looking at screens on our phones, tablets and PCs, and then at the television in the evening, but to help us to sleep well it is better not to do any of these things once we get into bed."

In the long term, losing weight, exercising and giving up smoking also helps sleep.

Getting out and about in the daytime to gain exposure to natural light is also crucial for sleep and experts said people should avoid napping for longer than 30 minutes during the day.

And people who go to bed but cannot sleep should get up and go to another room until they feel sleepy again to avoid bed being associated with sleeplessness.

(China Daily 02/04/2017 page23)