Insomnia is trouble falling asleep or staying asleep even after you had the opportunity to get a full night of sleep. It is the most common sleep complaint. As many as 30 to 35 per cent of adults suffer from insomnia.
This sleep disorder can have a negative impact on every aspect of life. Research shows that it affects work performance, impairs decision-making and can damage relationships.
Most people sleep between 7 to 9 hours, but one in ten of us has bad sleep. Here are some tips for when bad sleep creeps in:
- Use your efforts wisely. We cannot make ourselves fall asleep. If you cannot fall asleep get out of bed and do something else until you feel sleepy.
- Avoid caffeine after 4 pm. Caffeine is in tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks, chocolate, protein bars and some weight loss products. Check the labels carefully.
- Stress can be the cause but talk to your GP to exclude medical conditions or psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression.
- When bad sleep happens, it’s easy to start worrying about your sleep. This will only make your sleep worse. Try mindfulness and relaxation techniques.
- Keep a consistent time for going to sleep and waking up. Get a pattern going by waking up at a set time every day. You may feel groggy for a few days, but it will help reset your body clock.
- Sleep medication may give you a few nights of respite but won’t help in the long run.
If your sleep doesn’t improve, seek advice. There are many effective psychological treatments for insomnia. Call us to find out how we could help.
Our article on insomnia was featured at the Harborne, Edgbaston & Moseley Life Newspaper in May 2018.
