Insomnia: How to prevent and treat it – Alvaro Ciccia Rodriguez, Whitgift School

Some symptoms of insomnia include:

• Finding it hard or not being able to sleep at night.
• Feeling tired and being unable to concentrate properly during the day.
• Waking up repeatedly throughout the night.
• Waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep.

There are three types of insomnia: transient insomnia (lasts less than one month), short-term insomnia (lasts between one to six months) and chronic insomnia (lasts more than six months). Transient insomnia is the least worrying out of the other two since it doesn’t affect you for a long period of time which means that your health is more likely to not be severely affected.

In order to try and treat your insomnia yourself, you want to try to exercise during the day, make sure that you are comfortable while trying to sleep and are in a quiet, dark environment.  You also want to have a sleep schedule to try and change your sleeping habits. If you have tried these methods, your symptoms still persist, and months have passed then you would want to see a GP.

Your GP can recommend you to buy tablets or liquids from a pharmacy to help you to sleep better. These do not cure insomnia but simply allow you to sleep better for 1-2 weeks. You should always check with your GP before taking any medication to assist you in sleeping. If you have an extreme case of insomnia, then your GP could refer you to a therapist for cognitive behavioural therapy. Your GP could also prescribe you sleep pills but that rarely happens as they can have serious side effects. 

Overall, you shouldn’t be afraid to consult a medical professional about your insomnia, especially if it has been affecting you for months. In 2020, around 1.9 million people in Great Britain used remedies for insomnia. This shows just how many people suffer from insomnia and why you shouldn’t be discouraged to seek help in treating your insomnia.

References and Citations

Statista – Number of users of insomnia, stress and anxiety remedies in Great Britain from 2015 to 2020, by reason (in 1,000s)