Sleep Disturbances – Insomnia

There’s a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Living with mental health challenges can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.

  • Sleep problems can be broadly categorized into three types:
    • Problems getting to sleep – lying awake and not being able to fall asleep.
    • Problems staying asleep, for example waking up early in the morning.
    • Poor quality sleep – not feeling refreshed by the sleep you do get.
  • You may find a sleep problem can lead you to:
    • have negative thoughts, feel depressed or anxious – if you have little sleep you may feel less able to rationalize worries or irrational thoughts
    • feel lonely or isolated – if you feel tired you may not want to be sociable or see friends

Tips for dealing with Sleep Disturbances

  • If you can’t sleep, get out of bed
  • Don’t use electronics before sleeping
  • Have a routine around sleep
  • Don’t do anything in bed other than sleep
  • Read before you sleep