Insomnia: Expert insight on managing sleep difficulties

Recurrent insomnia can lead to low mood and irritability, as well as an increased risk of mental health problems. If you are struggling with chronic insomnia, it’s essential to seek specialist advice from a dedicated sleep physician who can help you to manage your condition and regain a healthy sleep pattern. In this informative guide on managing insomnia, revered consultant sleep physician and psychiatrist Dr Dipesh Mistry reveals the most common factors which contribute to the onset of insomnia and sheds light on how the condition is assessed and managed.

What are the leading causes of insomnia?

Insomnia is commonly caused by stressful life events, as well as physical illnesses or mental health problems. In some cases, other types of sleep conditions can also cause insomnia. For other patients, medication changes or lifestyle factors may lead to the development of insomnia. However, for many patients, a combination of different factors are behind the onset of insomnia.

How can insomnia affect a person’s life?

Insomnia can be very severe when it becomes chronic, which is defined as insomnia which lasts for more than three months. Many of my patients tell me that experiencing insomnia can make them feel very lonely as it may not be recognised easily or talked about often, even with loved ones. This can often mean that a lot of time passes before patients eventually come to see a doctor about their insomnia.

Can chronic insomnia lead to any non-sleep-related disorders?

In the majority of patients, chronic insomnia causes tiredness and irritability and can often make people feel very low in energy. For others, chronic insomnia is linked to a higher risk of mental health problems. For example, insomnia is linked to a doubled risk of anxiety and a fourfold increase in the risk of depression. It's also linked to a higher risk of developing a manic episode for people who have bipolar disorder.

How can insomnia be managed?

It's advisable to have a comprehensive assessment with a sleep physician who can fully explore all of the possible factors contributing towards your insomnia and put in place a plan to address each of these areas. Once the best course of action has been established, we can begin treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.

Is it possible to cure insomnia?

Yes, the primary treatment for insomnia is an intervention called cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, commonly known as CBTI. For patients under my care, CBTI involves five sessions. We introduce positive lifestyle changes, calculate your sleep efficiency and work out how much sleep you actually need.

Having made these calculations, we use this information to issue you with an effective sleep prescription. This sleep prescription will be fine-tuned over a period of time, usually several weeks, until the quality and the quantity of your sleep is improved.

CBTI also includes a range of specific techniques to help you manage your thoughts at night and contain any worries associated with your sleep. CBTI is definitely not an easy option, but it is a very effective way of overcoming your insomnia.




If you are struggling with sleep problems or are affected by chronic insomnia and wish to schedule a consultation with Dr Mistry, you can do so by visiting his Top Doctors profile.