INSOMNIA | SLEEP

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can affect your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or feel well-rested. Understanding what insomnia is, why I can’t sleep, and ways to improve sleep are key to managing sleep health.

How Many Hours of Sleep Do I Need

Sleep needs vary across age groups, but most adults generally require at least 7 hours of sleep per night to function well. Teenagers often need a bit more, around 8 to 10 hours, while children typically require even longer sleep to support their growth and development. It’s also important to remember that the quality of sleep matters just as much as the quantity, as uninterrupted, restorative sleep is key to overall health and well-being.

Why Sleep is Important

Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being. Good sleep supports:

• Energy levels and daily performance
• Mood and mental health
• Memory and concentration
• Immune system function

Poor sleep over time can contribute to both physical and mental health issues.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterised by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early. This often results in poor quality sleep, which can affect mood and energy levels throughout the day.

The number of hours of sleep a person needs to feel rested varies. Some people, such as teenagers, require up to 10 hours, while others, such as adults, may only require 7 hours.

Insomnia relates more to sleep quality than to the number of hours slept. A person who experiences insomnia may get an adequate amount of sleep, yet may spend hours trying to get to sleep or get back to sleep after waking. This disturbs the sleep cycle, resulting in poor sleep quality, thus becoming a problem.

To understand how insomnia affects your sleep, it helps to understand the normal sleep cycle.

Sleep occurs in stages divided into non-REM and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Each stage plays an important role in restoring the body and mind.

• Stage 1 (non-REM): Light sleep, where you begin to drift off. Easy to wake. Lasts 5–10 minutes.
• Stage 2 (non-REM): Light sleep where heart rate slows and body temperature drops. Lasts 10–25 minutes.
• Stage 3 (deep sleep): The most restorative stage. Important for healing, growth, and immune function. Hard to wake from.
• REM sleep: Begins around 90 minutes after falling asleep. Brain activity increases, dreams occur, and memory consolidation takes place.

These stages repeat in cycles throughout the night, typically 4 to 6 times over a 6–9 hour sleep period, with each cycle lasting around 90 minutes.

Insomnia can disrupt these stages, preventing the body from completing essential restorative processes. This is why you may still feel tired even after several hours in bed.

Understanding insomnia symptoms can help identify the condition and its impact on daily life.

Night-time symptoms:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking frequently during the night
• Waking too early and unable to return to sleep

Daytime symptoms:

• Feeling unrefreshed upon waking
• Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating or memory issues
• Irritability or mood changes
• Reduced motivation

Insomnia is the most common type of sleep disorder, with most Australians experiencing it at least at some point in their lifetime. According to a Sleep Health Foundation report, most adult Australians are suffering from at least one chronic sleep symptom affecting their daily life. It found younger people often had more difficulty getting to sleep, while the elderly struggled with waking throughout the night and waking early. 

Insomnia may only be short-term in some people. These are sleep problems that occur infrequently for less than 3 months. Problems that occur long-term (for more than 3 months), causing negative daytime effects, can be classified as chronic insomnia.

Lifestyle factors, stress, and underlying health conditions can increase the likelihood of developing sleep difficulties.

A multitude of factors can cause insomnia. Insomnia without a known cause is known as primary insomnia, while insomnia caused by an underlying factor or condition is known as secondary insomnia.

Secondary insomnia may be caused by:

• Poor sleep hygiene or bad sleeping habits
• Stimulants such as caffeine, drugs, and some medicines- Particularly when taken close to the intended sleep time
• Alcohol
• Mental health problems such as anxiety and depression
• Emotional factors such as stress and traumatic events
• Other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea (diagnosed through a sleep study) and restless leg syndrome
• Jet lag, shift work or irregular sleeping patterns
• Pain and chronic pain

Understanding what is causing your insomnia is extremely important. If you are able to identify a cause, you may be able to make lifestyle adjustments or treat the underlying cause of the condition, possibly providing relief from insomnia.

To do this, it is best to talk to your doctor about your medical conditions, medicines, and current sleep situation.

There are various insomnia treatment options available depending on the cause and severity.

These may include:

• Behavioural strategies and sleep hygiene improvements
• Addressing underlying medical or mental health conditions
• Short-term use of an insomnia program where appropriate

A doctor can assess your symptoms and determine the most suitable treatment plan

Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe several changes to a person's behaviour to encourage healthy and unassisted sleep. These techniques include:

• Having regular sleep times - go to bed and wake at a consistent time, allowing enough time to sleep a healthy amount. This also improved your circadian rhythm or body clock.
• Limiting napping - naps too late in the evening or too long can result in a disturbance to your sleep pattern
• Avoiding big meals close to sleep - digesting food while trying to sleep can be uncomfortable and disrupt sleep
• Create a comfortable environment for sleep - control the amount of light and noise that enter the room and avoid using the bed for non-sleep and intimate activities.
• Avoid substances that affect sleep - Stimulant drugs such as nicotine from smoking, illicit drugs, alcohol, and caffeine can all have negative effects on sleep, particularly when taken close to intended sleeping time
• Avoid blue light at night - Screens can emit blue light, which prevents natural melatonin production and drowsiness. Avoid using your phone or computer without a blue light filter close to bedtime
• Allow yourself to unwind - do not perform activities that induce stress or wakefulness close to sleep. Complete an activity that relaxes your mind such as reading or meditation.

Management of an underlying medical condition causing secondary insomnia may result in significant improvement in symptoms. It is important that if you are diagnosed with a condition that can affect your sleep, you feel this condition is being adequately and effectively managed. Sleep disorders such as insomnia could indicate a worsening of an underlying condition, which may need a review by your doctor.

If you have not been diagnosed with an underlying condition such as anxiety, depression or diabetes, yet you suspect there may be a chance you have these conditions, see your doctor for a diagnosis.

It’s also worth considering other possible causes of poor sleep. Sleep apnoea can sometimes be mistaken for insomnia. This condition causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, often leading to frequent awakenings and unrest. As a result, you may feel tired despite spending enough time in bed. If you experience symptoms such as loud snoring, gasping during sleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness, a medical review is recommended to rule out underlying sleep disorders.

If you're experiencing difficulties with sleep or symptoms of insomnia, taking the first step to understand what may be contributing can be a useful starting point.

Speaking with a doctor allows for a personalised assessment and guidance to help identify possible lifestyle, behavioural, psychological, or medical factors that may be affecting your sleep quality and overall wellbeing.

Early discussion can help you better understand your symptoms and explore appropriate management approaches suited to your individual circumstances.

Connect with a clinical team for a professional assessment and, where appropriate, begin building a tailored plan to help improve sleep quality and support your overall health and wellbeing.