Dealing with insomnia: tips to sleep better

What's on this page?

• What is insomnia
• What causes insomnia?
• Why is sleep so important?
• How much sleep do I need?
• 5 tips to help you sleep better
• Connecting your bedroom with sleep
• Creating a new sleep routine
• Getting support with anxiety

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is when you regularly have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Most of us have experienced the odd bad night’s sleep. When that becomes a pattern, it can be a serious problem.

What causes insomnia?

Readers who have shared their stories of insomnia told us they are kept awake by problems including anxiety, painful conditions such as arthritis, and menopause symptoms.

“My mind is just constantly active, and I find it difficult to switch off,” said one reader. Another said she was being kept awake by worry over not being able to get a date for surgery she needed.

Dr Hugh Selsick is an insomnia specialist, who runs a sleep disorders clinic at University College London Hospital. When he sees patients at his clinic, he first finds out if health problems are causing insomnia, so they can be treated. “We find that some people are being kept awake by pain. Or sometimes by restless leg syndrome, which is more common in older people and people with diabetes.”

Why is sleep important?

Dr Selsick says: “Insomnia is surprisingly common. It’s a serious problem and it should never go untreated. We know sleep plays a very important role in keeping good mental and physical health. When your sleep is poor, your mood, motivation and quality of life are affected.”

People have told us how sleep affects their daily lives. “I tire very easily and struggle with brain fog,” said one reader. Some said they had problems concentrating at work and others who had retired found responsibilities, such as looking after grandchildren or voluntary work, more difficult.

How much sleep do I need?

Dr Selsick says it’s a myth that everyone needs eight hours’ sleep, and some people function well on less. “The right amount of sleep for you is the amount that makes you feel alert most of the day, on most days.”

Connecting your bedroom with sleep

Dr Selsick teaches techniques to ease anxiety and create a positive mental link between your bedroom and being able to get to sleep easily.

He explains: “If you are a person who has spent hours awake, staring at the ceiling, the bed comes to be associated with anxiety, stress and being awake. And we want to change that.”

“We ask people not to use their bedroom for anything other than sleep, sex and maybe getting dressed and undressed. Because we want them to associate the bedroom and bed very closely with sleeping.”

Creating a new sleep routine

Dr Selsick encourages people to get up at the same time every morning, whether you have slept well or badly. That eventually leads to you feeling sleepy at the same time each day, and a regular sleep routine.

He also discourages taking naps in the day, which can lead to disturbed sleep at night. “It is better to push through and save that fatigue for the night.”

He says it’s also important never to go to bed until you feel sleepy, when you have a better chance of falling asleep and staying asleep.

“If you don’t fall asleep within about twenty minutes, then get up, go to another room where you are comfortable and read, do a puzzle, or listen to a podcast. When you start to feel sleepy, go back to bed.

“In the short term, you may spend less time in bed. It can take a few months to take full effect, because you are changing a lifetime’s habits and patterns. But if you stick with it, we find this works remarkably well.”

Getting support with anxiety

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