What ‘a good night’s sleep’ means for one person might be different for another. Some people might need more than 8 hours of sleep to feel rested while other people might need less.
It is also normal to experience some variation in sleep from night to night and for your sleep patterns to change as you age. However, ongoing sleep difficulties, which leave you feeling constantly tired, can signal a more serious problem - insomnia.
Ongoing sleep problems can affect physical health, mental health, and quality of life, so addressing problems with sleep is essential for wellbeing.
The key symptom of insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early, despite having the opportunity to sleep well. For insomnia to be diagnosed, sleep difficulties must have been present for more than one month.
Other common symptoms of insomnia include:
- fatigue, tiredness, or lack of energy
- problems with attention, concentration or memory
- difficulties performing social, work, or caregiving responsibilities
- making avoidable errors or having accidents at work or while driving
- low mood or feeling irritable
- tension headaches or digestive problems
- daytime sleepiness, or feeling ‘tired and wired’ during the day but not necessarily sleepy
- worrying about sleep, or about functioning the next day
Cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the most widely used and effective psychological treatment for insomnia which includes stimulus control and sleep restriction therapy, relaxations skills, and sleep hygiene.
Our Psychologists are trained and qualified to treat people experiencing stress in their lives, and many have expertise working with sleep problems, using techniques based on best available research. Our Psychologists help people identify and learn to manage the factors that contribute to their sleep difficulties. Our Psychologists usually see clients individually, but can also include family members to support treatment where appropriate.
