

They may examine you to rule out underlying conditions that may be causing your insomnia.
#Major insomnia help professional#
Your health professional will ask you about your sleep habits, medications, how much caffeine and alcohol you consume, and other symptoms you may have, such as pain. If they think you have insomnia, your doctor may refer you to see a sleep specialist or psychologist.įIND A HEALTH SERVICE - The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.ĪSK YOUR DOCTOR - Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist. Keeping a sleep diary is a good way to track symptoms, which you can share with your health professional. It is a good idea to see your doctor if you are having trouble sleeping or you are having problems with your mood, feeling restless in bed, snoring badly or waking up not feeling refreshed. shift work - people who work different shifts often do not sleep as well as those who work set hours during the day.life stage - elderly people are more likely to have insomnia.sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnoea, circadian rhythm disorders caused by irregular sleep patterns, restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement.mental health problems - insomnia can be a symptom of anxiety, depression or other disorders.hot flushes and night sweats during menopause), and breathing, urinary or digestive problems medical issues, in particular conditions causing pain, hormone changes (e.g.stress, caused by work or financial problems, relationship issues or grief.substances including caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, amphetamines and some prescription medicines.Sometimes there is an underlying cause such as a general health condition, anxiety, depression or sleep disorder. Sometimes there is no underlying cause for insomnia. being hyperactive, aggressive or impulsive.feeling tired or being too sleepy to do normal activities.Insomnia can lead to the following symptoms during the day: waking up too early and being unable to go back to sleep.But sometimes insomnia is chronic (called chronic insomnia disorder), meaning people have trouble falling or staying asleep for at least 3 months, along with being impaired during the day. Some people experience insomnia for a short time, for example when they are worried or stressed. waking up during the night and having trouble going back to sleep.It is more common in women and elderly people. Most Australians experience insomnia at some point in their lives, and about 1 in 10 people have at least mild insomnia at any given time. Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which people are unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. Related information on Australian websites.Limiting sleep time: This approach aims to restrict the time you spend in bed to the time when you are actually asleep.Stimulus control: This aims to ensure that you mainly associate your bed with sleep.Sleep hygiene: This involves improving your bedtime habits and ensuring you have a pleasant sleeping environment that will help you get a good night's rest.Relaxation techniques like autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation.When used to treat an insomnia disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy can be combined with other approaches, such as: It is more important that your sleep is restful enough for you to feel good the next day. And it's no big deal if I don't."īeing more realistic about your sleep also means not worrying too much about how much sleep you get. But I'll fall asleep again at some point. For example, if someone believes that they will always wake up at three in the morning and then not be able to go back to sleep, that negative thought may turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.Īnother typical thought that can stop you from falling asleep is: "If I don't fall asleep now, I won't make it through tomorrow." A more neutral thought might be: "This happens from time to time. This is not the same as "positive thinking." It is about changing exaggerated, unrealistic ideas about sleep. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to change thought patterns that may be stopping you from sleeping.
