Insomnia: What It Is and What Actually Helps
Insomnia explained: how it is defined, why it becomes self-sustaining, why CBT-I is the first-line treatment, and when to see a doctor.
Topic · 8 articles
Insomnia & sleep problems
Lying awake is the most common sleep complaint there is, and the most misunderstood. This section explains insomnia as a pattern with a mechanism, the treatment with the best evidence, and the conditions — sleep apnea, restless legs, low mood — that can sit underneath it.
Nothing here diagnoses anything; it is meant to help you have a sharper conversation with your own clinician.
Start with
Quick answers
When does poor sleep become insomnia?
When difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early happens at least three nights a week for three months, with daytime consequences, despite enough opportunity to sleep. Shorter episodes with an obvious trigger are short-term insomnia and usually settle.
What is the first treatment for insomnia?
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) — a structured programme of four to eight sessions — is recommended first by sleep-medicine and physician bodies. Sleeping pills are for short-term use alongside it, not instead of it.
All articles in Insomnia & sleep problems
Why Do I Wake Up at 3am? Causes and What Helps
Waking at 3am is common. Learn why the second half of the night is lighter, what stress, alcohol, light and sleep apnea add, and what actually helps.
Melatonin for Sleep: What It Does and Doesn’t Do
Melatonin is a timing signal, not a sedative. Where the evidence supports it, where it is weak, how much to take, when, and who should ask a doctor first.
Restless Legs Syndrome Explained
Plain-language guide to restless legs syndrome: what it feels like, why it is often missed, links with iron and pregnancy, and when to see a doctor.
Sleep Paralysis: Why It Happens, What Helps
Sleep paralysis is frightening but harmless. Learn what causes it, how common it is, how to end an episode, and when it may point to narcolepsy.
Anxiety at Night: Why Worry Peaks at Bedtime
Why worry feels loudest in bed, how an anxious night differs from an anxiety disorder, and CBT-informed tools that calm the mind so sleep can come.
Sleep and Depression: How They Feed Each Other
Sleep problems and depression feed each other. Learn the typical patterns, why CBT-I helps mood, how antidepressants affect sleep and when to get help.
Why You Wake Up Tired After 8 Hours of Sleep
Slept a full night and still exhausted? Why sleep inertia, social jet lag, alcohol, sleep apnea and low iron cause morning tiredness, and what helps.