Lorraine: Daisy Maskell discusses living with insomnia
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Missing out on sleep can be devastating. Not only are insomniacs prone to lower performance in work or at school, but they are more at risk of car accidents, mental health disorders, and dire long-term health conditions like high blood pressure. Worryingly, almost 23 million people are experiencing some symptoms of the condition, the research, commissioned by Direct Line suggests.
As part of the “Need for Sleep” campaign, thousands of Brits were asked whether they were having issues falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up early for longer than three months – all of which are key signs of insomnia.
On top of finding that 44 percent of people surveyed are struggling with one symptom, it also found that a fifth of people are struggling with all three symptoms.
Doctor Holly Milling, a registered clinical psychologist and founder of The Sleep Practice, weighed in on why the problems are happening – and she thinks the pandemic has a lot to do with it.
“The last two years have presented a huge range of challenges, including worry, loss, and isolation.
“Given that stressful life events are a common trigger for sleep disruption, it’s perhaps not surprising that rates of insomnia in the UK are continuing to soar.”
She also argued that there is a “danger” that we keep “normalising” poor sleep.
Previous studies have found that insomnia increased during the lockdown, doubling from two in 10 during pre-pandemic levels to four in 10 during the lockdown.
The Direct Line study suggests these numbers could remain high, despite society coming out of lockdown.
How to stop insomnia
The survey also estimated roughly seven million Brits are using medication to put themselves to sleep. Some experts argue this has negative effects.
Professor Marcantonio Spada, a consultant Cognitive Behavioural Therapy practitioner for Onebright, argues that “extreme measures” such as alcohol, benzodiazepines and sleeping pills “end up exacerbating the problem”.
“They tamper with sleep, and coming off them will cause a rebound in sleep disturbance,” they said.
Today, it’s harder to find a health professional on the NHS that will prescribe sleeping pills.
The health body explains: “GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills to treat insomnia.
“Sleeping pills can have serious side effects and you can become dependent on them.”
Other health professionals instead suggest working on lifestyle changes that are naturally conducive of a good night’s sleep.
Experts seem to agree that it’s vital to have a fixed sleeping schedule.
Doctor Milling explained: “Setting yourself a consistent bedtime and time to wake up each day is one of the fundamental ways you can tackle the grogginess that comes with insomnia.
“This tactic is beneficial for everyone, regardless of whether you suffer from insomnia or not.
“This will help your body to feel tired at the same time every night, making it easier for you to fall asleep faster. This makes it more likely insomniacs will get a better night’s sleep.
“By the same token, you should set an alarm to sound at the same time each morning. This routine helps to regulate your sleep pattern, which reduces the risk of feeling tired and groggy the next day. This routine should not change for weekends; for optimal results, you need to stick to it.”
One of the recommended treatments for insomnia on the NHS is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
CBT is a talking therapy that recognises the connection between the mind and body and reduces negative beliefs and behaviours that are detrimental.
Professor Spada said: “CBT has excellent evidence to support it as an intervention for sleep disturbances. The sooner irrational beliefs and maladaptive behaviours are tackled, the better and quicker will be the recovery to normal sleep patterns.
“Part of the journey is also to understand that sleep patterns change over life and that it is more to do with stopping to worry about sleep than the actual quality of sleep.”
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