Sleeping issue is extremely common problem, it can affect up to 1/3 of people at some point in their lifetime. There is a close relationship with sleep and mental health. Living with mental health issues can affect how well you sleep and conversly, poor sleep can negatively impact on your mental health. 

Some people experience issues with sleeping for few days at a time which is fairly normal. However, for some it can be a debilitating chronic condition that can go on for months or even years. Our clinical team at Bangholm have collated a list of the most useful resources designed to help and encourage better sleeping habits and improve the quality of rest:

There are many causes of sleep issues and it can helpful to explore keeping a sleep diary. common causes include:

• worries about money, relationships, work, friendships
• mental health issues including depression, anxiety, paranoia
• environmental problems including bed environment, mattress, partner issues, external noises, bedroom temperature
• health conditions causing pain, sleep apnoea, menopause, thyroid issues
• medication, alcohol, recreational drugs. 
• shift work, working evening or nights 

The amount of sleep for adults on average in the UK is about 7-8 hours however, the quality of sleep and how much a person needs can vary greatly between individuals and even on a day to day basis. This can be dependent on the age of the person and what their current lifestyle is like. Therefore, there is no such thing as 'normal' sleep pattern. Sleep is what specifically what your body and mind need to feel refreshed the next day.

1: Online Support : see this website for classic practical tips on how to improve you sleep Sleep and mental health - Mind or download this helpful booklet click here

2: CBT- cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia has proven to have the best evidence for improving sleep in the long term. It is a psychological therapy which explores the triggers and offers solutions to how to overcome the sleep issue at hand. 

3: Online app : Sleepio is a digital sleep improvement program. The 6-week CBT based course that provides you skills to overcome sleep issues. click here: Onboarding Sleep Test - Sleepio

4: Medication: sleeping pills can help short term severe insomnia . They largely work by reducing anxiety and worry and can help in breaking the cycle of sleep issue . However, doctors will commonly stress this should not be considered an option for regular long term treatment. This is because the majority of sedative sleeping pills are associated with risk of increased tolerance to its effects over time and in worse case  scenario, develop an addiction to the medication. 

5: NHS sleep clinics - are held at the Royal Infirmary Hospital and require a referral from our clinical team. They are a specialist service that assess abnormal sleep issues like parasomnias, hypersomnias and suspected sleep apnoea issues. They use equipment and monitors for overnight assessment in certain cases. 

Sleep Scotland is a great website for parents and families with children and young adults with sleep issues.

Sleep support line : trained sleep counsellors are available to speak to from mon- thur 10am- 4pm. You can contact the sleep advisors  via email on sleepsupport@sleepscotland.org

Sleep counselling support to families for children or young adults  of 18 months to 18 yrs via email on sleepsupport@sleepscotland.org, They work with families over a series of sessions with the first being an initial assessment of the problem and then providing a bespoke sleep plan for your child and their situation.

Sleep support for parents and carers: Download this very useful booklet to help your child sleep better. click here

They also give advice about how to manage on sleep terrors ,sleep walking, nightmares, bed wetting, sleeping issues with toddlers.

Click on the adjacent link to access Sleepio- a free  excellent online digital CBT programme sponsored by the NHS. The programme helps identify  common causes of sleep issues and  explores how to build techniques to help manage them.   It has been proven to help with sleep without the need for medication.

Feeling Good- CBT App

Feeling Good is a brilliant free app for both android and apple phones, that uses relaxation, CBT and resilience building techniques to help improve positive feelings, self esteem and self-confidence. They also include ways to improve sleep. Carefully and thoughtfully devised by a local GP and Psychologist in Leith -which has helped thousands of people in Edinburgh and scotland with mental health issues. Highly recommended app! 

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Sleep apnoea is a common sleep disorder that causes significant pauses in breathing at night during sleep. It can also be associated with loud snoring. If it is a frequent issue  it can leave the sufferer feeling excessively tired during the day.

For more information on the issue please click on this NHS useful link or look at the Sleep foundation link below