There are many restorative functions that take place during sleep. As such, satisfactory sleep is critical to maintaining healthy balance of body and mind. Sometimes people can experience problematic changes in their sleeping patterns. They might feel like they are sleeping more, or they may be struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep. This can impede the body’s ability to perform it’s restorative sleep functions.
It can also be greatly distressing when people are unable to sleep, or lie awake worrying and knowing that they are very tired, but still not able to sleep.
Sometimes, temporary sleep difficulties can be caused by an external event (e.g., you may have difficulty sleeping the night before a big job interview). When sleep problems persist outside of what is explainable, it can be a good time to seek some professional guidance. Chronic sleep difficulties can be indicative of a sleep disorder, and it is wise to raise this with your GP. For others, sleep difficulties can be associated with difficulties such as anxiety or depression.
Getting a good sleep is integral to our overall mental and physical health. Chronic sleep difficulties can lead to a change in your mood. Apart from the obvious fatigue, you may also begin to feel flat, stressed, or irritable, or you may feel like things are affecting you more than usual. You may notice that your attention lapses more than usual. Similarly, you may be having difficulty with everyday tasks and feeling more forgetful than normal. These symptoms have the potential to affect your relationships, as well as work life.
Sleep disturbances also have the potential of disrupting our hormones which can lead to changes in appetite and weight. Other physical symptoms can include headaches, tiredness, and nausea.
The first step is to consult with your GP, to check for other underlying health conditions. In addition, it can also be very helpful to see a psychologist. Some people find themselves falling into a vicious cycle with sleep difficulties. Sometimes people can become very distressed about sleep problems, and these thoughts and worries can become the very thing that keep them awake. It is normal to stir throughout the night, or wake up for the bathroom, however if you become fearful that you will not fall back to sleep, then this fear alone can keep you awake or even trigger broader worries. Many people can benefit from simple strategies to help calm the mind, or give the mind simple exercises to focus upon. This in turn can interrupt the stimulating cycle of worry that keeps them awake, and create room for the natural sleep processes to occur once again.
There are many strategies which have been shown to help with sleep difficulties. Your psychologist will help determine the best pathway forward.
If you have been experiencing any sleep difficulties and have found it is beginning to impact on your life, please consider taking some time to talk to us.
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