Health
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"How do people go to sleep? I'm afraid I've lost the knack." - US writer Dorothy Parker (1893-1967). In the UK today, as many as three people in ten could echo Parker's words: they too have lost the knack of sleeping on a regular basis.
Almost as many again admit to temporary sleeplessness, which means that overall around 60 per cent of the population have difficulties with sleeping - and insomnia is now the country's most common medical problem.

It is a problem that needs to be taken seriously. The various consequences of insomnia may not be immediately noticeable but they are insidiously negative. Like accidents: lack of sleep reduces concentration, impairs alertness, slows reactions and so becomes a major cause of accidents. This is particularly significant for workers who operate machinery and, of course, for drivers.

The "tiredness kills" sign alongside motorways says it all. Driver fatigue, which often leads to falling asleep at the wheel, is responsible for up to 20 per cent of traffic accidents. This link between adequate sleep and safety is highlighted every year at the end of March when the clocks go forward and road accidents go up by 8 per cent.

Insomnia also affects mood and behaviour. Losing out on sleep makes us feel drained, depressed, irritable and impatient. Whichever side of the bed we get out on is the wrong side and we tend to vent our ill temper on ageing parents, partners, kids and colleagues. Relationships suffer, likewise work. And so, too, does general health: persistent sleeplessness can impact adversely on the heart, brain and digestive system.

In addition to insomnia's after-effects, the experience itself is wretched: lying there, tossing and turning, restless and frustrated, with the bedside clock registering one wakeful minute after another. In the small hours, you may well wonder if, like Macbeth, you have been cursed to "sleep no more".

No you have not. Sleeplessness is not a life sentence and there is a lot that insomniacs can do to help themselves back into the habit of sleep.

Why wakeful?

Given that insomnia is not so much an illness as a symptom, it is important to try to work out why you are not sleeping. Anxiety is a common cause.

A survey carried out by The Sleep Council in association with Nytol found that the number one reason for wakeful nights - cited by 36 per cent of those polled - was "worrying about children".

Other issues weighing too heavily on people's minds at night were work, money matters and relationship problems. Ideally, sort out any concerns before it seriously sabotages your sleep, but if an anxiety becomes a persistent problem - keeping you awake night after night - then it must be aired and addressed. Also, try calming your harassed, overburdened mind with simple relaxation techniques such as ones that focus on breathing.

Another common cause of insomnia is a lifestyle that, in one way or another, discourages sleep. Are you drinking too much coffee? Eating late at night? Watching television into the small hours? The list of sleep-friendly strategies in "For a good night's rest..." on page 242 should help you identify any habits that might be keeping you awake.

'Tired' bed

In the search for sound sleep, there is one further factor to consider: the bed. When it comes to buying a new bed, most people recognise the importance of choosing wisely, but then seem to forget that beds do not last forever. By the time a bed is ten years old, it has been slept in for around 30,000 hours and the materials have deteriorated by up to 75 per cent. If the centre is sagging and the mattress creaks and feels uneven, the bed is wearing out and can no longer provide the comfort and support needed for a good night's sleep.

A study conducted by the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service found that people on uncomfortable beds slept nearly one hour less than those on comfortable beds and that a replacement new bed resulted in an increase of 42 minutes' sleep.

Often, what stops people from sleeping is worrying about not sleeping. In this situation - until that particular anxiety is dealt with - herbal teas or sleep aids may be an answer. These over-the-counter remedies, which typically contain sedatives such as valerian, hops, passiflora and lemonbalm, have a calming effect that makes it easier to fall asleep naturally. Designed for short-term, temporary use, they can help re-establish a regular sleep pattern.

But for chronic insomnia, which continues night after night, medical help is a must. Your doctor may prescribe sleeping pills but might instead take a psychological approach, focusing on underlying anxieties, lifestyle factors such as diet and bedtime routines, and relaxation techniques. This type of behaviour therapy - either with your GP or a specialist sleep counsellor - is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for insomnia.

It is proving more effective than tranquilisers and has no harmful side-effects.

Medical condition?

A visit to the doctor might reveal that your sleeplessness is linked to a medical condition such as arthritis or asthma. Or maybe it is caused by restless leg syndrome (RLS) or by obstructive sleep apnoea - a respiratory condition in which the throat narrows or closes during sleep, breathing stops for a few seconds and the person concerned, fighting for breath, wakes up with a jolt without being aware of it. This unconscious waking can occur as many as 400 times per night; no wonder the sufferer feels tired. For women, the menopause with its accompanying night sweats can be a cause of sleeplessness.

Thankfully, obstructive sleep apnoea, RLS and other medical conditions affecting sleep can be treated. So can snoring. Snoring affects around four million people in the UK and, in insomnia surveys, always emerges as one of the main culprits. Like sleeplessness, snoring may be alleviated by self-help measures such as losing excess weight, cutting back on dairy products - known to increase mucus production - and alcohol. But if the problem persists, seek your doctor's advice on decongestants and other appropriate treatments.

Tiredness is not always about loss of sleep. There is also lack of sleep. Last year, a report published by the think-tank Demos revealed that 39 per cent of adults said they suffered from sleep deprivation. They were not complaining of losing out on sleep through insomnia; they were admitting to not getting enough sleep.

In general, adults need seven hours of quality sleep a night. But the pace of life today, with an overload of work demands plus domestic commitments, means that many people deliberately cut down on sleep: it's an obvious way of fitting more hours into the day. Too bad if, as a result, they are permanently tired. Clearly a case for lifestyle changes.

Whatever the context, sleep is too precious to lose out on, so give it the priority it deserves: you owe it to yourself to have a good night's sleep - every night.
 
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