It's no joke when you can't sleep properly. We've nearly all been through it at some stage in our lives, to a greater or lesser extent. Sometimes it's just a night or two, here and there, when we have a specific worry - your child is ill, you have an exam soon or you're worried about a coming interview for example.

Sleeping badly because of situations like this will probably continue on and off throughout everyone's lives. However for those of us who have experienced prolonged insomnia the matter can be quite different. Especially if the Insomnia is hand in hand with another illness - if your mood is low, or you are experiencing a period of depression for example.

Many people underestimate the length of time they sleep. Studies have shown that we often sleep for much longer than we think we do. Worrying about not being able to sleep well can end up in a vicious circle which only causes more insomnia, so the circle needs to be broken. The first thing you must tell yourself is that you can and will return to a more regular sleep pattern, and that you can and will sleep longer than you do at the moment. The following are a few helpful rules to ease you back into more regular, and better quality sleep. But don't try to do everything at once or expect results immediately since it may take a few days for your body to readjust to its new pattern. Remember one thing, you will not come to any serious harm by sleeping poorly but it is obviously reassuring to be able to know that when you do go to bed, you will sleep.

Start Today - Follow These Rules

• It is essential that you try to establish regular sleeping habits by going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time every morning. Even if you find that you do not sleep well on any particular night it is very important that you maintain a regular sleeping habit - don't lie in the next day to make up for a bad night's sleep or cat-nap during the daytime.
• Your new routine should continue through the weekend days as well, for several weeks or months, or at the very least until you are through the period of depression or illness, or the problem which has caused you to worry has been sorted out.
• Remove the alarm clock from your bedroom to prevent its ticking keeping you awake, and to prevent bright dials or numbers constantly reminding you of the time. Do not have a T.V. in your bedroom either; the bedroom should only be associated with sleep.
• It is essential that you associate bed with sleep. So even if you have sleepy, and then go to bed - but find you don't sleep, you should get up, leave bedroom and do something to occupy yourself until you feel sleepy again.
• Do not have daytime naps because these reduce your sleepiness at bed time. They disturb your sleep-wake rhythm and cause even more difficulties with going to sleep.

• If you smoke and your sleep is bad, give up smoking. Furthermore, do not drink coffee, tea or caffeinated drinks (such as some colas) late in the evening.

• An alcoholic drink in the afternoon or evening can temporarily relieve anxieties, but later at night there can be a rebound effect, and you may end up with bad dreams and disturbed sleep.

• Adjust the temperature of your bedroom so that it is neither too hot nor too cold.

• Being underweight or very overweight may not help your sleep quality. So for better sleep and improved general health you could consider regular daytime exercise, but take it easy to begin with.

• Take your meals regularly. If you are used to eating in the evening, try to eat food which is easily digestible. Milky drinks and malted food drinks can also help.

• If you have an old bed which is uncomfortable, too hard or too soft for your liking, you should consider buying a new mattress - often an essential purchase, which people ignore or make a low priority of among the things they most need to buy for their home.

• If you wake in the night with thoughts going round and round in your mind, get out of bed, sit down and write down the worries on a piece of paper. Tell yourself that you will deal with what is on the paper in the morning and put it to one side. Often the worries you have put down in the night will appear more in proportion when looked at in the cold light of day. A tablet such as Phenergan (25mg) available over the counter at the chemists can help you to nod off again. Phenergan does not usually have any addictive potential nor does it usually cause a hangover, unlike diazepam or other drugs of the same class.

Useful Addresses

British Sleep Society

PO Box 144

Wakefield

WF4 2XY

Tel: 01226 380287

 

Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association

The Steps

How Lane

Chipstead

CR5 3LT

Tel: 01737 557997

 

The Sleep Centre

Bristol General Hospital

Guinea Street

Bristol BS1 6SY  

Tel: 0117 9286132 

 

Sleepwalking

Dr Jonathan Bird

Burden Institute

Frenchay Hospital