Why do I find it so difficult to fall asleep? Getting the right amount of quality sleep is really important for our mental and physical health, although we know it’s not always easy.
We can all have bad sleep now and again, but when we have insomnia, these issues are often regular, go on for quite a while, and they can have a big impact on our daily life.
Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder, which can look like:
- Having trouble falling asleep
- Waking up a lot through the night
- Waking up early and not being able to fall back asleep
- Not feeling refreshed or rested after waking up
- Finding it hard to concentrate because of tiredness
- Feeling irritable
How much sleep is the ‘right’ amount?
Everyone is different, but on average, adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep. Children need between nine and 13 hours of sleep, and toddlers and babies need between 12 to 17 hours of sleep.
What type of thing causes insomnia?
There are lots of things that could have an impact on your sleep, some of these might be:
- Feeling stressed or burnt out
- Feeling low or worried a lot of the time
- Caffeine
- A room that’s too hot or cold, or an uncomfortable bed
- Alcohol, nicotine or drugs
Sleep and mental health often go hand in hand, with one affecting the other. For example, if you’re not feeling like your usual self, your sleep might be affected. On the other hand, if you’re having trouble with your sleep, you might find it starts impacting your mental health.
What can help with insomnia? Let’s find out!
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
- Try to stay off your phone or other devices at least an hour before you go to sleep. Try reading a book, journalling, or some mindfulness techniques to relax
- Having a comfortable bed setup can make a big difference to your sleeping habits, and making sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and relaxing.
- Try to avoid eating any big meals late at night, and it’s best to avoid smoking, alcohol, tea or coffee a few hours before going to bed.
- Napping might feel like a good idea when you’re tired, but it’s best to avoid napping during the day as this can disrupt your sleeping pattern.
- If you’ve had a bad nights sleep, it can feel tempting to sleep in to ‘make up for it’ – but it’s best to avoid doing that. Keeping a regular sleep routine can help.
Talking to your GP
Support from a health professional can be really helpful when finding out what might be causing your sleeping problems, this might be your GP.
Talking therapy
Because there is such a close link between sleep and mental health, talking therapy can be really helpful in improving your mood, finding out things that may be causing the problems, and overcoming trouble sleeping.