Sleep difficulties

Why we might struggle and what we can do to help

What sleep difficulties might look like

There are lots of different ways we can struggle with our sleep. Look at the list below and select any you think might apply to you.

Getting to sleep

The most common sleep problem is trouble getting to sleep. For some people it can take several hours to drop off to sleep, but once they are asleep the quality of sleep is good.

Waking too early

Another problem is waking earlier than is desired, again with difficulty getting back to sleep.

Staying asleep

The next most common problem is a disturbed sleep pattern, with frequent waking in the middle of the night and difficulty getting back to sleep.

Poor quality sleep

Some people report sleeping lightly, with restless, disturbed and inconsistent sleep.

Sleeping too much

Another common problem is when people find themselves sleeping too much, often feeling sleepy or dozing during the day.

What causes poor sleep?

Next, we’ll look at some of the different reasons we might struggle to sleep, alongside some strategies we can use that might help to overcome the problem.

Below is a list of different topics covered. It may be that only some are relevant for you or it might be that they all are!

 

Page last reviewed: 7 February, 2024