©
Colin Espie / Scriberia
The start of a new year prompts many of us to reflect on our bad habits and instil better ones, particularly with regards to our health. While the longer evenings leave many wanting to curl up and sleep, a new animated video resets our thinking on sleep and how to get it right.
A new short animation, based on the research of Professor Colin Espie, explores how ‘better sleep’ can fundamentally improve our health and wellbeing. The video helps people to follow the 5 principles of good sleep health: valuing, prioritising, personalising, protecting and trusting sleep.
The 5 principles are a framework for good sleep health to be used at all ages and stages in life whether you’re a teenager or a sleep deprived parent; if you’re struggling with working night shifts or navigating the menopause. These are principles which apply to everyone and are practical to use.
The animation aims to help people understand that sleep is the ‘treatment’ that nature provides for our daily health and well-being. Sleep is not down-time or off-time. Rather the brain is highly productive at night – cleansing, repairing, and restoring us physically, cognitively, and emotionally. Sleep is something to value and prioritise.
This guidance is based on based on research by Professor Colin Espie, Professor of Sleep Medicine in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) Better Sleep Theme Co-Lead.
Professor Espie is a world-leading authority on sleep and sleep disorders; he is also passionate about sharing this knowledge to help others reap the benefits of good sleep health.
Having originally published the 5 principles in a research paper in 2021, Professor Espie has always intended to find a way to share them with a public audience, spurred on recently by an increasing interest from professionals looking for a way to explain sleep hygiene to their patients in a more accessible way.
Professor Espie explains: “I have spent the past 45 years emphasising that sleep is fundamental to our health and everyday function. Yet as a society most of us still don’t get full benefit from our sleep, and many people really struggle with insomnia. People often ask me, ‘what are the key ingredients of good sleep?' So, here is my answer.”
His work has attracted even wider interest with screenwriter and actor Sacha Baron Cohan lending his time to the project as a narrator.
Sacha Baron Cohen said: “Sleep truly matters - perhaps more than we realise. I know what it feels like to be short on sleep, and I know the difference when I’m well rested. Placing good sleep at the heart of our lives is vital for everyone, at every stage of life.”
The research behind the video, and the ongoing work to bring it to a public audience, has been a collaborative effort between the University of Oxford and OH BRC, with the support of several other NHS, professional and charitable bodies who champion the importance of sleep for physical and mental health. The animation was developed by Scriberia, a visual thinking company who offer strategic visual communication services.
The animation is also available on the website of The Sleep Charity, the UK’s leading sleep charity, who provide advice and support to empower the nation to sleep better. Here viewers will also find a range of additional resources to help them make practical use of the 5 principles.
Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity emphasises “This resource helps people reframe sleep as something to embrace and trust, rather than struggle with - unlocking the restorative power that underpins our health.”
As Colin concludes: “Following these principles will unlock the benefits of your sleep and give you better days as well as better nights. There’s some work involved, but you are worth it. Remember sleep is nothing less than nature’s medicine”.