What should you know about early insomnia?

Insomnia is difficulty getting enough restorative sleep despite having a reasonable opportunity to sleep. It may begin after stress, a change in routine, travel across time zones, illness, pain, or an uncomfortable sleep environment. Burnout, depression, and generalised anxiety disorder can also disturb sleep, while sleep difficulty itself can increase worry about bedtime. Notice whether the problem is falling asleep, staying asleep, waking early, or several of these. Daytime sleepiness, irritability, low mood, and difficulty concentrating show how it is affecting you.

Keep a simple sleep record covering bedtime, estimated time asleep, awakenings, waking time, naps, caffeine, alcohol, and medicines. Keep a steady wake time, use the bed for sleep rather than prolonged worrying, and get daylight and gentle activity during the day. Dim bright screens before bed and avoid using alcohol as a sleep aid. If symptoms persist or impair daily life, arrange an assessment; treatment depends on the pattern and its cause.

Seek prompt help if sleeplessness comes with thoughts of self-harm, severe depression, unusual agitation, confusion, or several nights of almost no sleep with unusually high energy. Do not drive or operate machinery when sleepiness makes you unsafe. Loud snoring with choking or witnessed pauses in breathing also deserves medical assessment.

What might be driving my sleep change? Could a medicine, mood symptom, or breathing problem be involved? Which sleep treatment fits my pattern? How long should I keep a sleep record?