We are not actively recruting for projects at the moment.
12 thoughts on “Participation”
I am very interested in dreams studies, especially lucid dreaming. Dreams play a big part in my life – I find them really fascinating. I have been exploring / experimenting with dreams for as long as I can remember. I have vivid dreams and lucid dreams on a regular basis. I have developed my own method of telling when I’m in a dream, which I apply regularly and without fail. I would very much like to be considered for any future research in this area.
Thanks Mariana. Lucid dreaming can certainly be an interesting experience. If we run any studies on it in future I’ll definitely be in touch.
I am 76 and have had dreadful insomnia for years, I’ve had psychological/ hypnotherapy help to deal with abandonment in childhood. Not having a strong foundation has caused me many problems, I have now worked through these problems but have forgotten how to sleep. For 4 days I have been restricting my sleep going to bed at 2am getting up 8am leaving the bedroom every half-hour when I’m not asleep, staying out of the bedroom for 30 minutes at a time how long might this take to start sleeping. I am so exhausted – I don’t mind doing this but how long might it be before it improves, I get quite frightened thinking I’m not going to sleep properly again. Can you suggest anything please
Sleep restriction therapy is a good starting point and eventually it will get to the point where you can’t stay awake at 2am, but that can take several weeks sometimes. Restriction therapy is actually one of the components of a broader type of therapy called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi). Given the origins of your sleep problems and the proven effectiveness of CBTi, it sounds like you would definitely benefit from that. It can be delivered either in-person from a therapist or online via an approved course. One of those – Sleepio – has recently been approved for NHS use, so in principal your GP could prescribe that (otherwise you can sign-up privately but I believe it has a subscription cost which the NHS would meet if prescribed). Definitely talk to your GP about getting some CBTi and I’m sure it will be possible to get you sleeping properly again.
Hello
I appear to be a very loud snorer so much so that I think I am waking myself up several times through the night.
If you have a research programme for this I would like to be considered.
Thanks for your interest. We’re not running studies in this area at present, but I’ll certainly keep you in mind if we do one in the future. Meanwhile, if you believe you’re a loud snorer and you’re waking several times each night, it might be worth asking for a referral to a sleep clinic (through your GP) to see if you’re suffering from sleep apnoea. That is very common but can also be very disruptive of sleep and worth treating if you do have it.
Kind regards,
Simon
Hi. Do you have any research on ADHD and it’s impact on sleep?
Hi Beth, not at present. We are developing a project in this area, however, so check back periodically to see if we have an update. Kind regards, Simon
How and why does insomnia increase depression.
What can I do to weaken depression and get a good night’s sleep?
TIA
That’s a good question, Margaret. Insomnia can increase symptoms of depression in several ways. Lying awake unable to get to sleep often leads to rumination, which itself is associated with depression. In that case, it is often better to invoke the 20-minute rule – if you’re not asleep after 20 minutes then get up and do something such as read a book, for at least half an hour or until you find yourself falling asleep. The loss of deep sleep associated with insomnia can lead to significantly increased daytime fatigue, which itself exacerbates low mood. In that case, keeping up daytime energy with sufficient exercise and a good diet will help; caffeine in small doses may also help with both the fatigue and the mood to a limited extent. Both the depression and the insomnia are worth seeking treatment for – therapy and/or medication – as they tend to mutually reinforce each other. By tacking both together, you will hopefully be able to overcome them and have a higher quality of life. Your GP is probably the first port of call for that.
I wake every hour or so throughout the night. I am very tired during the day to the point of struggling to stay conscious. I have very vivid dreams. I have RLS. I used to suffer with sleep paralysis. I feel I would be ideal for sleep study and need help to find out why my sleep is disturb. I live a few miles from Lincoln. I desperately need help.
Thanks Karen. I’m sorry to hear about your sleep difficulties. We do not currently have a research study in that area, but if we start one I will certainly let you know, as you would be ideal. Meanwhile, I would certainly suggest a trip to your GP for a possible clinical referral if s/he thinks that would be appropriate.
I am very interested in dreams studies, especially lucid dreaming. Dreams play a big part in my life – I find them really fascinating. I have been exploring / experimenting with dreams for as long as I can remember. I have vivid dreams and lucid dreams on a regular basis. I have developed my own method of telling when I’m in a dream, which I apply regularly and without fail. I would very much like to be considered for any future research in this area.
Thanks Mariana. Lucid dreaming can certainly be an interesting experience. If we run any studies on it in future I’ll definitely be in touch.
I am 76 and have had dreadful insomnia for years, I’ve had psychological/ hypnotherapy help to deal with abandonment in childhood. Not having a strong foundation has caused me many problems, I have now worked through these problems but have forgotten how to sleep. For 4 days I have been restricting my sleep going to bed at 2am getting up 8am leaving the bedroom every half-hour when I’m not asleep, staying out of the bedroom for 30 minutes at a time how long might this take to start sleeping. I am so exhausted – I don’t mind doing this but how long might it be before it improves, I get quite frightened thinking I’m not going to sleep properly again. Can you suggest anything please
Sleep restriction therapy is a good starting point and eventually it will get to the point where you can’t stay awake at 2am, but that can take several weeks sometimes. Restriction therapy is actually one of the components of a broader type of therapy called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi). Given the origins of your sleep problems and the proven effectiveness of CBTi, it sounds like you would definitely benefit from that. It can be delivered either in-person from a therapist or online via an approved course. One of those – Sleepio – has recently been approved for NHS use, so in principal your GP could prescribe that (otherwise you can sign-up privately but I believe it has a subscription cost which the NHS would meet if prescribed). Definitely talk to your GP about getting some CBTi and I’m sure it will be possible to get you sleeping properly again.
Hello
I appear to be a very loud snorer so much so that I think I am waking myself up several times through the night.
If you have a research programme for this I would like to be considered.
Hi Jeanette,
Thanks for your interest. We’re not running studies in this area at present, but I’ll certainly keep you in mind if we do one in the future. Meanwhile, if you believe you’re a loud snorer and you’re waking several times each night, it might be worth asking for a referral to a sleep clinic (through your GP) to see if you’re suffering from sleep apnoea. That is very common but can also be very disruptive of sleep and worth treating if you do have it.
Kind regards,
Simon
Hi. Do you have any research on ADHD and it’s impact on sleep?
Hi Beth, not at present. We are developing a project in this area, however, so check back periodically to see if we have an update. Kind regards, Simon
How and why does insomnia increase depression.
What can I do to weaken depression and get a good night’s sleep?
TIA
That’s a good question, Margaret. Insomnia can increase symptoms of depression in several ways. Lying awake unable to get to sleep often leads to rumination, which itself is associated with depression. In that case, it is often better to invoke the 20-minute rule – if you’re not asleep after 20 minutes then get up and do something such as read a book, for at least half an hour or until you find yourself falling asleep. The loss of deep sleep associated with insomnia can lead to significantly increased daytime fatigue, which itself exacerbates low mood. In that case, keeping up daytime energy with sufficient exercise and a good diet will help; caffeine in small doses may also help with both the fatigue and the mood to a limited extent. Both the depression and the insomnia are worth seeking treatment for – therapy and/or medication – as they tend to mutually reinforce each other. By tacking both together, you will hopefully be able to overcome them and have a higher quality of life. Your GP is probably the first port of call for that.
I wake every hour or so throughout the night. I am very tired during the day to the point of struggling to stay conscious. I have very vivid dreams. I have RLS. I used to suffer with sleep paralysis. I feel I would be ideal for sleep study and need help to find out why my sleep is disturb. I live a few miles from Lincoln. I desperately need help.
Thanks Karen. I’m sorry to hear about your sleep difficulties. We do not currently have a research study in that area, but if we start one I will certainly let you know, as you would be ideal. Meanwhile, I would certainly suggest a trip to your GP for a possible clinical referral if s/he thinks that would be appropriate.