A good night’s sleep has positive effects for us all, but in modern times with pressurised schedules this is an aspect of our daily living which may not be prioritised. Springtime is an ideal time to kick start some new sleep habits with a view to boosting your sleep, or just trying something new. 1. If possible, avoid using electronic devices at bedtime. 2. If possible, avoid using electronic devices through the night. 3. Set an ideal sleep time and try to loosely plan around it. 4. Check that your […]...
How to Deal with Sleep Problems This article deals with Dyssomnias, these are sleep problems characterised by abnormalities in the timing or quality of sleep, e.g. difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep. Parasomnias or unusual behaviours that occur during sleep e.g. nightmare, sleeping walking, sleep talking/shouting, night terrors, are dealt with in a separate article. Sleep problems are one of the most common problems dealt with by Clinical Psychologists and Counselling Psychologists. Sleep problems can interfere significantly with the quality or a person’s life and are usually accompanied by high […]...
Dear Dr Gray, I have a sleep problem. I can usually get to sleep without too much trouble but I then wake up a couple of hours later and find it almost impossible to get back to sleep. Some nights I get as little as 2 hours sleep. I had some counselling sessions a few months ago and was taught some practical strategies, like not reading in bed, getting up instead of lying in bed when I can’t sleep but they didn’t make much difference. I have always been a […]...
Sleep problems are incredibly common and affect millions of people each year. Sleep problems can be incredibly anxiety provoking causing both emotional distress and physical discomfort. Sleep problems can also affect memory, concentration, energy levels, and mood and can make you more prone to both physical and mental health problems. A sleep problem however is usually a symptom of more complex problem for example stress, generalised worry, low self esteem or low confidence. Sleep problems also commonly co-occur with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, anxiety […]...
