Street drugs (for example, ecstasy, cocaine, cannabis and amfetamines) can affect sleep. Nicotine (from smoking) is a stimulant, so it would help not to smoke.Caffeine is a stimulant and may cause poor sleep. It is also in some painkiller tablets and other medicines (check the ingredients on the medicine packet). Caffeine - which is in tea, coffee, some soft drinks such as cola, and even chocolate.Alcohol actually causes broken sleep and early morning wakefulness. Alcohol - many people take an alcoholic drink to help sleep.For example, illness causing pain, leg cramps, breathlessness, indigestion, cough, itch, hot flushes, mental health problems, etc. Various illnesses keep some people awake. Note: most people who snore do not have sleep apnoea and they do sleep well. See the separate leaflet called Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome. You may wake up many times each night which may result in daytime tiredness. This causes you to wake up to breathe properly. This not only causes snoring but also reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to the lungs. In this condition the large airways narrow or collapse as you fall asleep. This sometimes occurs in people who snore, most commonly in obese people. Treatment of depression or anxiety often cures the poor sleep too. Other symptoms of depression include a low mood, lethargy, poor concentration, tearfulness and persistent negative thoughts. Also, poor sleep is sometimes due to depression. You may find it difficult to switch off your anxieties about work, home or personal problems. Poor sleep in these situations usually improves in time. This may be because of stress, a work or family problem, jet lag, a change of routine, a new baby, a strange bed, etc. You may then have an impression of having a bad night's sleep, even when the total amount of time asleep was normal. This may make you irritated or anxious, and you are more likely to remember the times of wakefulness. You may clock-watch and check the time each time you wake up. You may feel that to wake in the night is not normal, and worry about getting back off to sleep. You may remember the normal times of being awake in the night. However, there are a number of possible causes which include the following: Concern about wakefulness Poor sleep may develop for no apparent reason. Dr Magid Katz, How to improve your sleep behaviour Causes of insomnia You may think you got a full night’s sleep, but you wake up tired. They’re called mini-arousals and can be worsened by poor sleeping position. Many people wake up periodically during the night without even knowing it. If you are distracted during the wakeful times (for example, a partner snoring, traffic noise, etc) then the wakeful times tend to last longer and you are more likely to remember them. Normally, you do not remember the times that you wake if they last less than two minutes. Sleeping tablets are not the best way to help with sleep problems because you can get addicted to them and they often stop working if you take them regularly. Therefore, the strict medical definition of insomnia is: 'Difficulty in getting to sleep, difficulty staying asleep, early wakening, or non-restorative sleep despite adequate time and opportunity to sleep, resulting in impaired daytime functioning, such as poor concentration, mood disturbance, and daytime tiredness.'įurther ways to promote sleep in more difficult cases include relaxation techniques, regular exercise and certain psychological therapies. What is important is that the amount of sleep that you get should be sufficient for you, and that you usually feel refreshed and not sleepy during the daytime. For most people it takes less than thirty minutes to fall asleep. However, as you become older, it is normal to sleep less. Most people establish a pattern that is normal for them in their early adult life. Some people function well and are not tired during the day with just 3-4 hours' sleep a night. Different people need different amounts of sleep.
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