Do you find yourself losing sleep regularly?
It is normal for us to experience shifts in our sleep sometimes. There might be periods when we need more rest and other times when staying up late causes no problem for us. Losing too much sleep though can be harmful for our general health. Insomnia can also be a sign of other health issues too, so keep an eye out to make sure you get some shut eye 😉
What is insomnia?
Insomnia means regularly having problems sleeping.
The symptoms of insomnia are:
- Having trouble falling asleep
- Waking up often during the night
- Lying awake at night unable to sleep
- Waking up early and being unable to go back to sleep
You will also experience the side effects of disturbed sleep:
- Feeling tired during the day
- Finding it hard to nap during the day even though you are tired
- Feeling irritable due to tiredness
- Finding it difficult to concentrate because you are tired
Insomnia is a common worry and you are not alone with it. It is thought that a third of Brits experience sleep problems at some point in their lives.
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia can be caused by several factors, some of which listed below:
- Occupied mind – eg. stress at work, in family, emotional turmoil. There might be something specifically on your mind that is keeping you up at night.
- Environmental – eg. noisy house, bright lights that prevent you form sleeping
- Habits – Doing stimulating activities late at night, such as exercising, playing computer games, drinking coffee late at night.
- Some health issues can cause insomnia, such as depression and anxiety
Adults typically need 7-9 hours of sleep during the night. If you regularly miss out on a good night’s sleep, you are likely to experience the side effects of insomnia.
Fortunately, you can find help for insomnia and easily make changes that will improve your sleep quality.
Improving Sleep Quality
Insomnia usually gets better by improving our habits.
To help deal with insomnia, try some of the below:
- Good sleep hygiene: remove distractions. Use blackout curtains, reduce noise, limit screen time before bed.
- No energizing or stimulating activity right before bed – that includes foods, caffeine, alcohol, exercise.
- Speaking of exercise – when you are active during the day, your body will feel the need to rest at night.
- Consider medication or therapy if problems persist.
Be aware that insomnia might not go away overnight, but there are many things that you can do to make your sleep better quality.
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