Insomnia - Difficulty Sleeping (Useful information)

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Mental Health Information:

This page contains detailed information about:

Insomnia

This can be treated by our specialists. Please feel free to print out a copy for your personal use.

Insomnia (difficulty sleeping):

Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or having interrupted sleep. It is very common and can occur at all ages. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep and requirements can vary even with those of the same age. Age is important. Babies and children sleep much longer than adults. As you get older you need less sleep. For this reason, insomnia may appear more common in those over 65. Some people accept insomnia as a normal process of getting older, whilst others will seek help. There are also some people who may feel they do not sleep well at night but in reality they do.

Insomnia may occur for many reasons. You may have difficulty getting to sleep because of what has happened during the day. A difficult or stressful time at work can leave you frustrated, angry or depressed. Worrying about problems in your life or an uncompleted task may make you feel anxious. You may be feeling sad, upset or depressed about something. All of these may cause your sleep to be affected.

Once insomnia occurs, a "habit" or pattern develops which can be difficult to break.

What support is available?

Insomnia is often a symptom and may reflect an underlying problem. The first task is to try and identify the cause of the insomnia. If it is due to anxiety or stress, then counselling or help with relaxation may be of use. If it is due to a depression, then again counselling or antidepressant tablets may be required. A physical cause such as an illness or being in pain may require treatment. Other possible causes such as too much sleep during the day, an uncomfortable bed or noisy neighbours will need to be tackled.

There are several self-help routines that can be undertaken:

Try and get plenty of exercise. This helps increase the depth of your sleep. An evening walk, jogging or swimming is good. Avoid daytime and evening napping. This will only make it harder for you to go to sleep at night. Avoid tea, coffee or chocolate after 6.00 p.m. and eating large evening meals. Try not to eat any later than 8.00 p.m. A small amount of alcohol may also help. However, too much alcohol can make the problem worse. Try to establish a routine at bed-time. When you go to bed, don't listen to the radio or watch TV in bed. It is important that you associate your bedroom with sleep. If after 10-15 minutes you cannot get off to sleep, get out of bed and leave the bedroom. Go to your sitting room and watch TV or read. When you feel sleepy again return to bed. If after 15 to 20 minutes you still cannot get off to sleep, repeat the process. Avoid lying in bed, tossing and turning.

We treat patients with insomnia, with a variety of techniques (see treatments) these are largely drug-assisted treatments which are found to be effective in most cases