Sometimes it can be really difficult to fall asleep. Sleep problems are common, and the reasons we struggle to sleep changes throughout our lives.
Did you know that we spend approximately a third of our lives asleep? Sleep is an essential and involuntary process, without which we cannot function effectively. Sleeping helps to repair and restore our brains, not just our bodies.
Each person needs a different amount of sleep, on average an adult needs between 7 and 9 hours. However, age, health and personal circumstances affect how much sleep we need, plus some people naturally sleep more than others.
Good sleep habits, such as going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, can really help us to get better sleep.
There are many reasons why we might not sleep well.
Some people are naturally lighter sleepers or take longer to get to sleep while others might sleep badly because of anxiety, worry over stressful events or other life challenges. There are lots of things that can influence how well we sleep, such as our current physical or mental health, our upbringing and more.
However, bad sleep habits such as not relaxing or winding down before bed, often cause sleep problems.
With mobile phones and other technology it can be very easy to stay up late into the night and not be able to unwind and get the right amount of sleep.
On the RC Hub we have lots of different resources that could help you improve your sleeping pattern and create good sleep habits.
What is the RC Hub?
The RC Hub is a mental health, recovery, health and wellbeing resource library, for people living in the Black Country. It is ever-growing with new activities, leaflets, videos and other tools to help you.
Here is a link to Better Health NHS Website which goes into more detail about sleep and how to improve your sleep
https://www.therecoverycollege.co.uk/the-hub/making-lifestyle-changes/website-10/1599-how-to-improve-my-sleep
There is also a playlist created by BBC Sounds called Winding Down. This soothing collection of sounds has been created to help you relax and fall asleep.
https://www.therecoverycollege.co.uk/the-hub/making-lifestyle-changes/podcasts-3/1598-wind-down-playlist?highlight=WyJiYmMiXQ==
You can access each of these for free, download and save for later! Through this series we are shining a light on the amazing resources you can access on the Hub to help you on your recovery journey.
The RC Team
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The Recovery College is an educational learning environment for people who have an interest in, or personal difficulties with, mental health.
All of our sessions are created with people who have lived experience of challenges with their own mental health along with carers and healthcare professionals.
You do not need any formal qualifications or experience to attend the college. All of our courses are free of charge and open to anyone, aged 18 and over.
If you would like to enrol with us here at The Recovery College, email