Devon


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1333" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/Stephanie-Romiszewski.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52082" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/Stephanie-Romiszewski.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/Stephanie-Romiszewski-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/Stephanie-Romiszewski-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/Stephanie-Romiszewski-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/Stephanie-Romiszewski-394x525.jpg 394w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Consultant sleep physiologist and co-founder of Exeter&#8217;s Sleepyhead Clinic, Stephanie Romiszewski runs the Royal Devon and Exeter occupational health sleep clinic and has recently developed a new online platform, the <a href="https://sleepyheadprogram.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sleepyhead Program</a>, to treat more people as well as gathering data to make an intuitive, scalable AI platform. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-tv.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52092" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-tv.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-tv-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-tv-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-tv-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>She has spent years diagnosing and treating a variety of sleep disorders, with over 10,000 patients and is a sleep expert for both the Beeb and Channel 4.</p>



<p>In this Muddy regular, Stephanie shares how she gets her day off to the best start.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-wakes-you-up-in-the-morning">What wakes you up in the morning?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-dog.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52089" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-dog.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-dog-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-dog-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-dog-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-dog-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-dog-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Light and the dog.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How many hours&#8217; sleep do you get a night? And how many should we aim for?</h2>



<p>I keep my wake time the same each day (6am) and I give myself a 7-8 hour ‘opportunity’ for sleep. That means I go to bed when I am sleepy and, if I&#8217;m not, then I don’t go to bed. I don’t worry about it, even if it’s <em>realllly</em> late. If the wake time is always the same, your hours of sleep will be relatively similar. So what if you get a little tired? It only improves your sleep quality later! If you muck about with this process, and your sleep becomes broken, then chronic insomnia is more likely.</p>



<p>That said, we all need something different. Just try not to worry about it! Aim for quality instead.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What keeps you awake at night?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/sleep.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52096" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/sleep.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/sleep-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/sleep-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/sleep-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/sleep-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/sleep-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>It depends. Stress, hormones, illness and excitement&#8230;waking at night is normal. It’s what you do about it that makes it worse or better. To reduce wake-ups when they&#8217;ve become a pattern for no apparent reason, you need to slightly reduce your sleep window consistently over time. Mild sleep deprivation fixes insomnia. I know! Bonkers but true.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What&#8217;s your top tip for getting back to sleep?</h2>



<p>Why are we all trying to get back to sleep?! Keep your wake time the same&nbsp;no matter what&nbsp;and let your body do what it needs to do. Worrying doesn’t help. Willing sleep to come will push it away. One bad night or even several bad nights won’t hurt you. Worrying and stressing about it will, which will make you do funny things like try to <em>catch </em>lost sleep, mucking up the timings of your sleep, which in turn perpetuates the cycle and adds to your stress… it&#8217;s exhausting! Let go and see a sleep expert if you need to.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What&#8217;s the first thing you do in the morning?</h2>



<p>Kiss my partner and then I go and get the dog and cat and kiss them too!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do you bounce out of bed or do you need to be dragged?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-spaniel-800x1000.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52091" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-spaniel-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-spaniel-640x800.jpg 640w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-spaniel-768x960.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-spaniel-420x525.jpg 420w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/steph-spaniel.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure>



<p>I bounce mostly, but I have my bad days just like everyone else. Its normal &#8211; even when you know all the science!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What&#8217;s the one thing you wish everyone knew about how to improve their night&#8217;s sleep?</h2>



<p>That how your sleep goes, ie: the quality, feeling sleepy and duration, is more influenced by what you do first thing in the morning than anything you could possibly do before you go to bed. So, if you wake up at the same time every day followed by light and exercise, your sleepiness becomes more predictable and the quality of your sleep is better. If you lie in, stay in the dark and don’t reduce fatigue via exercise… you dilute what your brain can understand is sleep time and wake time. Building a strong and regulated sleep drive is much more difficult, leading to unusual bed times and broken sleep.</p>



<p>I&#8217;d also tell everyone not to worry. You would be dead without sleep so even if you think your sleep is the worst it&#8217;s ever been right now, it&#8217;s doing an amazing job. You’re still here functioning, and you can always see a sleep expert and get it fixed if you want to!</p>



<p>Sleep problems are normal. Chronic sleep problems are not. Sorry that’s so much more than one but I can’t miss a chance to give people good info.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Most common myth about insomnia?</h2>



<p>Going to bed early or lying in will help; something terrible is going to happen to you as a result; you shouldn’t exercise; more time in bed will help; ANY product or supplement that tells you it can cure the problem with quick use (when in fact it will make it worse as you learn to crutch and psychologically depend on it).</p>



<p>Insomnia is really a behavioural pattern built over time, and therefore breaking the pattern and building a better one is going to take time and consistency.</p>



<p>Insomnia can be fixed, but not with all the snake oil I’m afraid.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What do you eat or drink first?</h2>



<p>My most common and favourite is scrambled eggs with chilli, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How do you set the mood for the day?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="772" height="583" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/stpeh-paddle.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52093" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/stpeh-paddle.jpg 772w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/stpeh-paddle-768x580.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/01/stpeh-paddle-695x525.jpg 695w" sizes="(max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px" /></figure>



<p>I move. Every single day. It&#8217;s the most important thing for my entire life and nothing, not even seeing my clients/work/family/friends will come before it. I usually walk with the dog then do weight-training or interval sessions, and always first thing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Who else shares your morning space?</h2>



<p>My fiancé and then Pasco the spaniel &amp; Pavel the cat. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What are you listening to right now?</h2>



<p>Classic FM wakes us up, I like podcast episodes not podcasts. So, my absolute favourites right now are Johann Hari on <em>Diary of a CEO</em> (Episode 114); Edith Edger on <em>Feel Better Live More</em> (Episode 140) and anything with comedians Sindhu Vee or Ricky Gervais.</p>



<p><strong><em>Want to improve your snooze? Get in touch with Stephanie at &nbsp;<a href="http://www.sleepyheadprogram.com/">www.sleepyheadprogram.com</a></em></strong>, <strong><em>Tel:&nbsp;01392 690696</em></strong>.</p>


Morning routines of happy women: the sleep expert

You may also like