Sleeping Problems In Adult Life - Insomnia

Sometimes we may feel that we are not getting enough sleep or rest in the night when we should. There are many everyday reasons for not sleeping well.

Sometimes, sleeping problems could be due to the bedroom being too noisy, too hot or too cold. Or the bed may be uncomfortable or too small. Our partner may have a different pattern of sleep from us do affect our sleep too. Without a regular routine, or not be getting enough exercise will also cause sleepless nights. Changes in temperature in the bedroom may also affect our sleep.

Having too much food or going to bed hungry can make it difficult to get off to sleep or causing us to wake too early

Cigarettes, alcohol and drinks containing caffeine, such as tea and coffee are not advisable.
Some more serious causes include emotional problems, difficulties at work, anxiety and worry, depression, thinking over and over about day to day problems etc. Having such problems may result in waking up very early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep.

Can medication help?

People have been using sleeping tablets for many years, but we now know that they don't work for very long. Such medication may cause us to feel tired and irritable the next day. They lose their effect quite quickly, so we have to take more and more to get the same effect. Some people become addicted to them. The longer we take sleeping tablets, the more likely we are to become physically or psychologically dependent on them.

Sleeping tablets should only be used for short periods (less than 2 weeks), and only advisable if we are so distressed that we cannot sleep at all. If we have been on sleeping tablets for a long time, it is best to cut down the dose slowly after discussing it with the doctor. In some cases, antidepressant tablets may be helpful.