What are sleep difficulties?
It’s likely that all of us will have struggled with sleep at some point in our lives; nights spent tossing and turning leading us to feel tired the next day. Some people’s lifestyles (such as having a young child) will mean they are unable to sleep as much as they need, but your sleep can also be heavily affected by stress or when you’re feeling low. Many people find themselves lying awake at night with worries racing through their minds. Sleeping difficulties are commonly known as ‘insomnia’. It's important to remember that if you are struggling, we can help. TALKWORKS is Devon's NHS Talking Therapy Service (excluding Plymouth). We're free, effective and confidential.
How are you feeling?
Sleep difficulties can have a number of negative effects on you. Often, they’ll lead to you feeling exhausted all of the time and it can create a cycle of worrying and low mood. Lack of sleep can also have an impact on your physical health, such as your blood pressure, so it’s important to get some help if you are struggling. Other symptoms of sleep difficulties include:
- Dropping off to sleep during the day
- Finding it difficult to concentrate
- Finding it hard to make decisions
- Feeling low or down
- Worrying regularly about not being able to sleep
- Changes to mood such as being irritable
Should I tell my friends and family?
If you are struggling with your sleep, and are affected by worries or stress whilst trying to get to sleep, one of the best things you can do to help yourself is reach out to the people you trust, and speak to them about how you are feeling. They may be able to talk through your problems and help you to find solutions.
How can TALKWORKS help?
At TALKWORKS, we offer Improving sleep workshops which look at the reasons why you are struggling to sleep and where you can learn a variety of tools and techniques to help you improve your sleep.
We also offer one-to-one therapy sessions with one of our NHS clinicians, group therapy sessions and online self-help.
If you prefer, you can speak to us by calling 0300 555 3344 (Monday to Friday, 9am - 4:45pm) or you can make an appointment with your GP to discuss how we can help.