INSOMNIA  OR DIFFICULTY IN SLEEPING is common in many people under many different circumstances. In fact more than 10 per cent of people may have sleeping problems. If you are facing a temporary but important deadline at work or are under a lot of pressure, you may worry and therefore lose sleep. However, one you have met the deadline or the pressure is relieved, you should be able to sleep normally. Our bodies prefer regular daytime activity, so shift workers have trouble adjusting their patterns of sleep.

If you can’t fall asleep, try to determine the cause of your insomnia. If you are worried about things in daily life, try to deal with these issues before you go to bed. Sometimes making a list of the things you have to do the next day is a help. Cut down on caffeine, especially in the evening. You might try drinking warm milk, which contains a natural chemical that encourages sleep. A warm bath before retiring may help. Although heavy exercise causes adrenaline to flow and might make sleeping difficult, try some light exercise before taking a bath. Finally, reading something you enjoy may help you fall asleep, or watching television – but avoid stimulating programmes. Contrary to popular belief, alcohol is not conducive to sound sleep and may even cause disturbed sleep.

Insomia may have physical causes; for example you may suffer from sleep apnoea, a condition in which breathing ceases for as long as ten seconds followed by a loud snore. It may be due to a disturbance in the respiratory centre in the brain, or to obstruction of the breathing passages. Change of position may help in relieving the obstruction, but if sleep is very disturbed medical help may be neededd.

Medications called sedatives or hypnotics are sometimes used to help people sleep, but nowadays doctors are reluctant – or even refuse – to presribe them for simple sleep disturbances. People with sleep apnoea, should not take sedatives. Other physical and mental, disorders may cause sleep problems, and taking sedatives may mask the problem. Consequently, they should not be taken for long periods. Moreover, it is possible to become tolerant of a sedative after two or three weeks, and you may then need to take more to produce the same effect. Eventually the medication may cease to be effective and serious dependency can become a problem.