And so to bed: advice from sleep specialist Hunrosa and the Cornish Bed Company

Lose Sleep

Be prepared for the clocks going forward

the clocks go forward an hour on March 27, meaning mums around the UK will lose an hour’s sleep on their special day. If you approach this event with dread each year, rest assured you are not alone. Sleep expert Jan Jenner, founder of Liskeard-based sleep consultancy Hunrosa (meaning ‘to dream' in Cornish) is right there with you.

“If the decision was up to me, I would abolish British Summer Time,” she says, reeling off an array of frankly alarming statistics, including that heart-related emergency hospital visits rise by 20% in the week following the change (and decrease similarly in October when the clocks go back).

It begs the question: why do we do it? A history lesson: in 1907, Chiselhurst builder Willliam Willett (great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin) published a pamphlet The Waste Of Daylight. He proposed that the clocks should be advanced by 20 minutes at a time at 2am on successive Sundays in April and be reversed in September. Thus mornings would remain darker for longer, pushing productive daylight hours into the evening, saving £2.5 million in lighting costs to boot.

The clincher was the outbreak of the First World War, and the twin needs of saving coal and boosting wartime production. The bill was passed in May 1916 under the Defence of the Realm Act.

Today, says Jan, BST – aka Daylight Saving Time – is “just something we do.” The fact that many other countries followed suit suggests the decision won’t be reversed any time soon, so what steps can you take to ensure that crucial missing hour doesn’t upset your delicate circadian rhythms?

Firstly, be kind to yourself. “You’re doing something that isn’t natural,” says Jan (“not a morning person” by her own admission). Be aware of the forthcoming change, and plan the following week so you tackle tricky jobs in the afternoon when more alert. Conversely, avoid driving long distances – you risk tiring more easily.

In much the same way that William Willett suggested advancing the clocks incrementally, Jan recommends moving your wake-up time gradually to be gentler on your body clock. By rising 15 minutes earlier each day the week before, you’ll be ready for the new regime when Sunday comes.

The “no caffeine after midday” rule is applicable at any time of year, but especially now. “Caffeine takes a little while to enter your bloodstream, so a coffee after noon can disrupt that night’s sleep,” warns Jan. And beware strong barista coffee, which contains two-thirds of your recommended daily intake. The only exception, says Jan, is if you can’t avoid that long drive – a coffee and a nap will break a couple of rules but see you safely home.

There is a major emphasis on sleep habits in March. Jan and her colleagues will be attending a conference in Rome to mark World Sleep Day in March, devised in 2008 to draw attention to the impact of sleep problems on our health, education and social lives – it's estimated that sleep deprivation costs the UK £40 billion annually.

Back at home, Hunrosa works with the NHS in Cornwall to help young people with complex health needs, often due to ongoing illness; and the team is also hoping to collaborate with GPs to help menopausal women, who often see changes in their sleep patterns. Hunrosa works with sleep consultants throughout Devon and Cornwall, as well as other parts of the UK – there is even one on the Isles of Scilly.

The approach is behavioural rather than medicinal – think sleep diaries rather than sleeping tablets. Should you wonder how crucial sleep is to wellbeing, consider the links between sleeplessness and suicide: “Research shows that 75% of suicide victims have suffered sleep problems in the months prior to their death – and suicide attempts are often made in the early hours of the morning.”

Above all, Jan advises us not to get hung up on blanket recommendations of “eight hours’ sleep”. We are all individuals, and our sleeping patterns change as we age, with teens renowned for sleeping late while the elderly find they can manage on less. Jan has a theory: “In the days of hunter-gatherers, having people waking at different times meant there was always cover, especially through the night.”

The golden rule is that if you feel fine, you probably are. l www.hunrosa.co.uk

in Style

The Cornish Bed Company hand-casts beds from scratch, creating family heirlooms

Acomfortable bed and the right mattress can make all the difference between a restorative night’s sleep and poor-quality sleep resulting in tiredness and fatigue. You can find both stylish beds and luxurious mattresses at the Cornish Bed Company in Par.

Just two miles from the Eden Project lies one of the last remaining working foundries in the country, where a small team of craftsmen have amassed over 100 years of workmanship between them. Here, they pour zinc at temperatures exceeding 500°C to create hand-cast traditional Victorian knuckle joints for beautiful madeto-order beds indistinguishable from the original antique Victorian iron bed frames that inspired them.

The firm began hand-casting metal bed frames in the 1990s, using quality materials, traditional techniques and cast fixings to create enduring furniture. There are few companies still using the authentic method of knuckle joint fixings to keep the frame sturdy and increase strength over time, giving the customer reassurance of a lifetime guarantee. These aren’t just beds; these are family heirlooms, to be passed down from generation to generation.

Many metal beds are imported, increasing carbon footprint and using overseas labour, the end result being flimsy and in a limited number of designs. In contrast, the Cornish Bed Company makes each bed from scratch in Cornwall, employing local talent, working with interior designers and welcoming bespoke commissions. Their pieces can be found in some of the most gorgeous and coolest bijou hotels in the country, including the Soho House Hotels.

Every bed is made to order, using British steel as its raw material. Frames are available in cast iron, brass and nickel, with the ability to colour-match to an array of palettes; and in all sizes, from small single (ideal for children and small spaces) to spacious emperor.

Most designs can be supplied as beds, divan surrounds, four-posters and halftesters (with a canopy extending over half the length of the bed). Headboards can be manufactured for any style bed, charged at 40% of the price of the equivalent bed. Daybeds, popular since ancient times for reclining during social activities, create a multi-functional, space-saving seating and sleeping space while retaining style and elegance. And don’t forget your four-legged friend: most cast and daybeds can be recreated for hounds of all sizes – even a luxury four poster for a pampered Great Dane.

The National Bed Federation recommends replacing your mattress every seven to eight years. All Cornish Bed Company frames are complemented by a range of luxurious organic mattresses, hand-made in Devon by sister company Naturalmat. Combining the finest natural materials - including organic coir, cashmere, natural latex, organic lambswool and mohair - with high levels of workmanship, these offer you comfort and value for money within all budgets.

Let the final word be had by a happy customer: “My bed is definitely built up to a standard and not down to a price. I appreciate it every day, and I know I will not have to buy another bed - isn’t this better for the environment, and my pocket too?” l Visit the Cornish Bed Company and foundry in Par - call 01726 825182 or visit cornishbeds.co.uk for opening times and directions.