Insomnia

What causes insomnia?

Many things can lead to insomnia, and sometimes it is hard to point to a single, clear reason. The most common causes are:

• stress
• anxiety
• depression
• noise
• a room that is too hot or too cold
• an uncomfortable bed
• alcohol
• caffeine
• drugs
• jet lag
• shift work

If you are feeling unwell, or you think your sleep problems might be linked to a medicine you are taking, it is best to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about it.

Treatment for insomnia

The causes of insomnia vary so treatments can vary from person to person.

Try a self-help guide

You could try our sleep problems and insomnia self-help guide. It covers topics like:

• symptoms of a sleep problem
• causes of sleep problems
• improving your sleep
• calming a busy mind

Our mental health self-help guides are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). They’ve proven highly successful in helping people with anxiety and other mental health issues.

Try an online CBT course

You could try an online course like Sleepio. Sleepio is a digital sleep improvement programme based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT.) It’s clinically proven to help address the root causes of poor sleep and insomnia.

Improve your sleep hygiene

Insomnia can often be treated by improving your sleep hygiene.

To improve your sleep hygiene, you need to look at both your sleep environment and your daily behaviours.

Do

• make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet – use thick blinds, curtains, an eye mask or ear plugs
• keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature for sleeping – this should be slightly cooler than your living area
• make sure your mattress, covers and pillow are comfortable
• exercise regularly during the day
• create a relaxing bedtime routine, like taking a bath or listening to gentle music
• write any worries and ideas down before going to bed, so that you’re more likely to be able to forget them until morning
• get up at a specific time each day and try to stick to this, even if you feel you’ve not had enough sleep

Don’t

• do not nap during the day
• do not exercise for at least 4 hours before going to bed
• do not drink caffeinated drinks (like tea, coffee or fizzy drinks) for a few hours before going to bed
• do not drink alcohol or smoke shortly before going to bed
• do not eat a big meal just before bedtime
• do not go to bed before you feel tired – it’s better to stay up until you’re ready to fall asleep than to go to bed early and worry about not sleeping
• do not watch the clock when trying to sleep, as anxiety will only make your insomnia worse
• do not use your bedroom for anything other than sleeping or sex
• do not watch television, make phone calls, eat, or work in bed

What to do if you’re struggling to fall asleep

If you find you can’t fall asleep and you’re growing anxious about it, you should:

• get up and go to a different room
• do a relaxing activity, like reading or listening to music
• try going to sleep again in around 20 minutes, or whenever you feel tired again

Psychological therapy

If changing your sleeping habits doesn’t help, your GP may refer you for a type of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for people with insomnia. This is called CBT-I.

CBT-I aims to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that contribute to insomnia. It’s an effective treatment for many people and can have long-lasting results.

Medication for insomnia

In some circumstances, medication over the counter or on prescription can be used to help with insomnia.

Medication can be effective in the short term but it can also cause insomnia to get worse, cause addiction, or other side effects.

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