Sleep-difficulties-and-insomnia--a-practical-guide
By Deam-Rass
On average, we need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function optimally. In today’s fast paced and high stress society, a third of the population reports difficulties with sleep, and about 10% of people report chronic insomnia, a condition that involves trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning, persistently poor sleep quality, and trouble functioning the next day.

There are many reasons why people have trouble sleeping. High levels of stress, anxiety, and/or are often the culprit. Other possible causes include medical problems or conditions, chronic pain, use of certain medications, excessive use of alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine, or the presence of a more complicated sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome).

In order to address sleep difficulties, it is important to identify the specific cause. It is wise to consult with your family physician to rule out medical problems that could be causing poor sleep.

If sleep problems are caused by depression, anxiety, or high levels of stress, consulting with a psychologist is a good idea, as psychological treatments such as cognitive-behavioural therapy have been shown to very effective at decreasing anxiety and and helping people to improve how they cope with stress. Certain medications that target anxiety and can also be prescribed by your physician. If an underlying or anxiety disorder is properly treated, sleep problems often improve.

Sometimes people have sleep problems or insomnia in the absence of any other psychological difficulties

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