Does Pokémon Sleep work?

Will I sleep better if I play Pokémon Sleep? ... is a question that you may well ask yourself as Nintendo capitalise on the success of Pokémon Go and Pokémon Quest by releasing a new game that they say is designed to help you sleep better.

As the game has only just been announced as of May 2019 the details are still a little sparse. It’s three years since Go took over parks around the world so what will this new app be like?

So, what do we know about Pokémon Sleep?

What is the Nintendo Pokemon Sleep App Called? 

Well, what we do already know is that the new app from Nintendo will track the amount of time you spend sleeping and what time you wake up. It's called Pokemon Sleep as you may imagine. The name pretty much tells you what it is all about.

How will it do this?

We know that it will be using a new device called a Pokémon Go Plus Plus.

What is a Pokemon Go Plus Plus?

The Pokémon Go Plus Plus has a built in accelerometer which detects when you’re sleeping, and can share that info with your phone via Bluetooth. It would seem that this will then give you an indication of what you may win in the game based on this data. So it's actually a new Pokémon Go peripheral called the Pokémon Go Plus+. It is pronounced “plus plus.”  Seems hard enough to say and type that it may send you to sleep!

Making light of the whole situation Nintendo announced in a tweet.. “Several Snorlax were consulted on this, in case you were wondering.

Pokemon Sleep will be released in 2020 so in the meantime we can just wonder how it will all work.

Do Sleep apps work?

The big question that I would ask, as someone who helps people to sleep better would be...Do Sleep Apps Work?

My answer would be No! So why do I say this?

There are much better ways to learn how to switch off and sleep better than being guided by an app. In fact Just having your phone with you in bed is a terrible idea anyway. You should be switching it off and even getting rid of the clock?!

What should I get rid of the clock to sleep better?

The best way to explain things is in this video all about top tips to help you sleep. Have a watch and everything will make sense! Three Tips to get back to sleep.

What is the problem with using a Sleep app Like Pokemon Sleep?

Well, let me put it like this.. when you wake up in the morning you don't know what time it is until you look at the clock. So, you may wake up and feel fantastic. If you then look at the clock and see it is only 5.30 in the morning, then you may suddenly change your mind and think that you feel bad. But you felt fine until you saw that data! It's the same principle with apps that tell you how well you slept.

You don't need an app to tell you if you slept well or not do you? When it comes to trackers like Fitbit and the like, then knowing you did lots of steps can help to motivate you. If you have done nearly 10000 steps in a day, you may well do a few more to get you over the line. But, the truth is that sleeping well just isn't the same.

If you struggle to sleep well, then why not have a listen to this youtube video all about Hypnosis to help you sleep. It's really just a lovely way to relax and learn to switch off your mind. That will work so much better than any app that tells you how you got on the morning after!

Could Nintendo use or collect my sleep data?

We don't know at the moment. But it's very likely that they would want to collate data on how well people sleep so that they can then give statistics about how well they think the app is working and how much difference it makes. They may well say that data is all anonymous, but do you really want people to know about what you are doing every time that you toss and turn in bed? They will need to use your data as part of the game, but it's one thing to play a game for a few minutes, and quite another to have it monitor you each and every night.

Hypnosis to stop Teeth Grinding

How can I stop grinding my teeth? It’s a question that I am often asked alongside people who come and see me with a fear of dentists. It may not surprise you to hear that fear of dentists is one of the most common fears and phobias!

I have written about both those things before and you can read all about hypnotherapy for fear of dentists here: https://www.markpowlett.co.uk/fearofdentists.html

One of the problems with teeth grinding is that it can cause jaw pain and headaches, as well as wearing down your teeth too.

What can I do to help stop teeth grinding?

The first thing to do is make sure that you see your dentist or your doctor. They need to take a look at your mouth and also what could be causing the problem. Normally people grind their teeth in their sleep and that pain of headaches and jaw issues can make your teeth more sensitive too. The technical term is bruxism and you need to take steps to stop it from causing you further problems. 

Sometimes when you speak to your dentist they can fix a problem that may be to do with alignment of your jaw or teeth with a brace or other assistance. If medication is needed a doctor can prescribe this for you.

The role of stress and anxiety in teeth grinding.

It may not surprise you to hear that most people that suffer from bruxism grind their teeth because of stress and anxiety. If you are not dealing with the things that stress you in the day, then you may well not be sleeping well, and that grinding is one way that your body deals with it.

Hypnotherapy for teeth grinding helps you look at what could be causing that stress and anxiety and then deal with it. It’s about changing the things in your life that cause you worries and then learning to let go and relax.

Often just seeing someone to talk to makes a huge difference right at the start. Seeing a professional who is there to help you with no judgement or agenda other than just making sure that you feel better is always a good idea.

Once you start to learn how to let go of stress and those anxious feelings you can learn to sleep more soundly and awake feeling much more refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. When we deal with that root cause and you learn to relax and think about how you want things to be, rather than how you worry they may be you can be surprised at the difference.

So, make sure you see your doctor and your dentist regularly and if you would like to experience the benefits of hypnotherapy for fear of dentists, or hypnosis for bruxism then you can email me on [email protected]