What causes sleep problems?
There are many reasons you may experience sleep problems. Common causes of sleep problems are:
- a poor sleep routine – going to bed too early or too late, or not relaxing properly before bed
- a poor sleep environment – sleeping somewhere uncomfortable, or with too much light or noise
- changes to sleep patterns – working night shifts or sleeping in a new place can be a problem if your body doesn’t adjust
- unhelpful psychological associations – developing anxieties or phobias about going to sleep after a period of poor sleep, or associating the bedroom with being active
- physical illness – being uncomfortable or in pain, having a physical sleep condition such as snoring or sleep apnoea (problems breathing while sleeping), or having a hormone or neurological disorder such as an overactive thyroid or Parkinson’s disease
- alcohol, street drugs and stimulants – (including caffeine and nicotine)
- medication – having trouble sleeping as a side effect of certain medication, such as epilepsy and asthma drugs, or antidepressants stress, worry and anxiety – feeling nervous about a specific issue, such as work, money, family or relationships; or a specific event, such as an interview or appointment
- trauma – finding it hard to sleep after experiencing a traumatic event,such as an accident or a bereavement; experiencing long-term sleep
- problems as a result of long-term trauma or abuse, particularly if the
- trauma happened during childhood
- mental health problems (see below)
