Festival safety and wellbeing

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V, Glastonbury, Reading and many other music festivals are on the horizon. The excitement is mounting, the tents are being packed and plans are being made.

Whilst there is no doubt that festivals are great fun and an amazing experience, it is vital to keep safe and be vigilant whilst you attend, or things can get messy .

We have some handy tips to help you have a great time but keep safe at the same time.

Make a list of everything you need to pack; from loo roll and deodorant, hay fever medicine and wipes to wellies and torches.

Safety in numbers is true so try to stay with your tribe and if you plan to go solo, let them know.

Organise a meeting point with your friends so you can get together at specified times of the day. This way you know you can find each other if you get split up.

It is a good idea to locate the medical centre when you arrive and put a flag on your tent so you can see it when heading back to base.

Keep your mobile phone charged and with you at all times and take out insurance. Add an emergency number, just incase, and a tracker so you can find your phone it is gets lost or stolen.

Leave valuables at home. Yes you might want to look good and record your fav bands for YouTube but not everyone on site will be the model citizen. Keep anything of value with you at all times and even better, leave it at home.

Don’t assume things will be safe in your car or tent and don’t ask new found friends to look after your stuff.

Basic, but keep your hands clean and wash them after going to the look and before eating, you don’t want to get a bug on site.

Music festivals and feet don’t always go together, especially when it rains. Try to keep them clean and dry to prevent blisters, infections and trench foot. None are pleasant and they can all make you feel rotten, so invest in your feet.

Just as it might be wet, it can also be sunny, so take your sunscreen, a hat and glasses.

Drink plenty of water and do it before you are actually thirsty. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times and don’t get hydrated from the combination of dancing, heat, lack of food and booze.

Don’t leave your drink unattended. Any drink can be spiked and the consequences aren’t worth it.

Keep your cool. It will be busy and crowded so don’t get annoyed by the hustle and bustle as things can quickly escalate and the last thing you want it to go home with a black eye.

Alcohol and drugs will be on offer but remember both can affect your ability to make safe judgements, so have fun but be safe.

It might not look cool, but if you need to, wear ear plugs. The music can be really loud and if you are close to the stage or near the speakers, you might want to protect your hearing.

From pollen to smoke from fires, BBQs and cigarettes, there can be added pollution in the air so if you have asthma ensure you take your inhalers and any other medication.

At night, stay on the main roads and routes and don’t go off exploring in the dark.

Never hesitate to get help if you think you are in danger. Don’t worry about making a fuss – it’s far better to be safe than for something awful to happen.

Have fun, make memories but be safe!

Insomnia and what you can do about it

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alarm clock, alcohol, anxiety, black out blinds, caffeine, children, clean, comfortable, day, devices, ear plugs, essential oil, eye mask, GP, insomnia, irritable, lavender oil, life, lighting, long-term basis, meals, misery, mobile phone, paper, self-perpetuating, shift work, sleep, stress, thick curtains, tired, Tvs, warm drink, worries

Struggle to fall asleep night after night?

Wake up in the early hours and just can’t nod off again?

Simply don’t feel refreshed when you get up in the morning?

It could be that you are suffering from insomnia, which is thought to affect up to one in every three people in the UK at some point.

There are no official statistics to suggest how much sleep adults need because we are all different but the suggested average is between seven to nine hours. It can be detrimental to get caught up with numbers because the main thing is getting enough good quality sleep so that you don’t feel constantly tired throughout the day.

We all have the odd night of bad sleep, maybe when we are stressed, anxious or excited this doesn’t cause serious problems, but persistent insomnia can affect all aspects of your life, from your energy levels, appetite, mood and relationships.

Signs that you might have insomnia include:

• difficultly falling asleep
• waking up several times during the night
• lying awake for long periods at night
• waking up early in the early hours and not being able to go back to sleep
• not feel refreshed when you get up
• feeling constantly tired and irritable in the day and unable to concentrate

This can be caused by many factors, including stress and anxiety, an uncomfortable bed, a bedroom that’s too light, noisy, hot or cold. Lifestyle factors like shift work, jet lag, drinking alcohol or caffeine before going to bed can also play a part.

Mental and health physical conditions, as well as some medications, can also interfere with sleep on a long-term basis.

Whatever the cause, it can be frustrating but there are ways to deal with insomnia.

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and large meals late in the evening.
• Just like with children, set a bedtime and stick to it and do the same with waking – even at the weekend.
• Relax before you go to bed and turn off all devices and TVs.
• Get an alarm clock rather than using your mobile phone to wake you up as having it on can distract you.
• Have a relaxing, warm bath before bed and add lavender oil to the water as this essential oil can aid sleep.
• Make sure your bedroom is comfortable, clean and the temperature is set correctly.
• Use thick curtains or black out blinds in your bedroom so that the least amount of sunlight is let in.
• Try an eye mask or ear plugs if you get woken often by noise.
• You might be tired but try not to sleep in the day.
• Write a list of worries, if you have any, so they are down on paper and not in your head. Look at areas in your life that are bothering you and getting you down and maybe find ways to deal with them.
• If you really cannot sleep, get up, have a warm drink in low lighting.
• We know we make it sound easy but try to relax and don’t get stressed about not sleeping as this becomes a self-perpetuating cycle of misery.

If things don’t settle down, go to see your GP who will try to help identify and treat any underlying health condition, such as anxiety, that may be causing your sleep problems and then look at other changes that can be made.

Sweet dreams.