Ask The Expert
Up All Night
Sleep is as essential to us as food, air and water - if you suffer from insomnia you'll know how debilitating it can be. So if you're having trouble sleeping at night, what should you do?
Hi Debbie,
I have trouble sleeping. I usually have no problems dropping off, but then wake up a few hours later and can't get back to sleep. I'm often awake from 4am. Nightmares often wake me up and sometimes things on my mind which I try to write down. It's not caffeine related. My doctor won't prescribe anything as he doesn't think it's 'serious', but I am knackered every day!
Lucy
UKTV Style's Agony Aunt replies:
Hi Lucy,
This is a common problem, but no less debilitating for that. Sleep disorders fall into two patterns. Those who cannot get to sleep at all, and those who fall asleep easily but wake in the early morning. You obviously fall into the second group.
There are many causes for this kind of sleeplessness, but the classic cause of EMA (early morning awakening) is some kind of mood disorder like depression. This, then, should be the first thing to rule out, and although your doctor sounds like he is being rather unhelpful, I think you should go back to him and ask for his advice. If you are depressed, then he will be able to give you anti-depressants that will regularise your sleep patterns in time.
If you are not depressed, there could be a variety of factors that cause you to wake and, more importantly, prevent you from falling back to sleep. Professor Kevin Morgan, is a specialist in Insomnia Management at Loughborough University, and he points out that most of us wake at some time during the night. We may have a bad dream, hear a noise or need to go to the bathroom. The issue though, is whether we manage to get back to sleep again. Your nightmares or worries might wake you up, but they should not prevent you from getting back to sleep.
I have trouble sleeping. I usually have no problems dropping off, but then wake up a few hours later and can't get back to sleep. I'm often awake from 4am. Nightmares often wake me up and sometimes things on my mind which I try to write down. It's not caffeine related. My doctor won't prescribe anything as he doesn't think it's 'serious', but I am knackered every day!
Lucy
UKTV Style's Agony Aunt replies:
Hi Lucy,
This is a common problem, but no less debilitating for that. Sleep disorders fall into two patterns. Those who cannot get to sleep at all, and those who fall asleep easily but wake in the early morning. You obviously fall into the second group.
There are many causes for this kind of sleeplessness, but the classic cause of EMA (early morning awakening) is some kind of mood disorder like depression. This, then, should be the first thing to rule out, and although your doctor sounds like he is being rather unhelpful, I think you should go back to him and ask for his advice. If you are depressed, then he will be able to give you anti-depressants that will regularise your sleep patterns in time.
If you are not depressed, there could be a variety of factors that cause you to wake and, more importantly, prevent you from falling back to sleep. Professor Kevin Morgan, is a specialist in Insomnia Management at Loughborough University, and he points out that most of us wake at some time during the night. We may have a bad dream, hear a noise or need to go to the bathroom. The issue though, is whether we manage to get back to sleep again. Your nightmares or worries might wake you up, but they should not prevent you from getting back to sleep.
