Sleep disorders and sleep therapy

If you think that you or someone that you know may be suffering from a sleep disorder, it is important to recognise that you are not alone, and the most crucial first step is to seek help. We have a number of expert consultant psychiatrists who have a special interest in sleep and the treatment of sleep disorders.

Our expert team at Priory recognises that each individual experiences insomnia and sleep disorders in unique ways. As such, we are dedicated to developing bespoke programmes which enable your individual challenges to be tackled in a way that fosters the best outcomes for you.

The first step in your journey will be to receive a detailed assessment which will help your allocated specialist to determine whether or not your sleep problems are being influenced or caused by any other co-existing conditions that may need treating. Your specialist will then be able to direct your treatment according to your specific requirements.

As a next step our highly qualified specialists would teach you simple behavioural and lifestyle changes that you can make, in order to improve your ability to achieve consistent, good quality sleep. These changes may include robust sleep hygiene measures and regular relaxation exercises. These steps are vital in good sleep management as individuals need to take an active role in their therapy and treatment, if progress is to be maintained.

Our experts also use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a means of tackling the symptoms that are associated with sleep disorders, and addressing any underlying problems. CBT is widely used in therapy which focuses on sleep disorders and works by addressing the misconceptions, attitudes and unhelpful behaviours that may be contributing to your sleep disorder, before encouraging you to view situations in healthier ways. This technique has been found to be highly effective as a means of helping people to achieve a consistent sleep pattern and improve their health and wellbeing.

A sleep disorder occurs when your routine pattern of sleep is disrupted to the extent that your overall physical and mental health can be affected, with fluctuating hormone levels, mood and weight a result of not getting enough quality sleep. Sleep disorders are common, with around 6% of adults or over 3.5 million people in the UK reporting feeling sleepy during the day.

While it’s perfectly normal to experience restless sleep every so often in relation to the stress and strains of modern life, such as worrying about a meeting or an important exam the next day, regularly struggling to sleep at night and waking up feeling excessively fatigued is a more serious issue.

Trying to function at school or work when you have limited amounts of energy can become increasingly frustrating and debilitating, affecting your ability to concentrate during everyday tasks, which can cause accidents, lead to deteriorating academic or job performance, as even place a strain on your relationships.                  

Despite feeling exhausted at night, a sleep disorder such as insomnia can prevent you from falling asleep. Decreased energy and ability to handle stress as time goes by only increases the chances of a poor night’s sleep, so it can become difficult to break the cycle of an unhealthy sleep routine. Even if you have found it difficult to sleep well for a significant period of time to the point where poor rest may begin to feel like an expected part of your daily routine, it is never too later to make adjustments to your lifestyle.

Through observing symptoms and sleep patterns, as well as discussing any possible underlying causes of poor sleep with trained sleep specialists at Priory, you can begin to improve your quality of life and get the rest you need to function correctly during the day.   

Examples of common sleep disorders include:

Insomnia

Insomnia is an inability or delay in getting to sleep or being able to sleep for a suitable amount of time once you do drift off. Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint, with a higher rate of reported insomnia in women.  Approximately one in three women suffers from insomnia at some point in their lives. This may be because women are more likely to seek help for unsatisfactory sleep than men.

Insomnia seems to become more prevalent with increasing age, although children and adolescents can also be affected by it. It is frequently associated with mood disorders such as anxiety or depression, as well as other health conditions, stress, jet lag, high caffeine intake, and some medications as a possible side effect.

Sleep apnoea

Occurs when there are pauses in breathing or when breathing temporarily stops repeatedly for short periods of seconds or a few minutes during your sleep. This disruption can cause exhaustion and irritability the following day, and is a serious disorder which can be life-threatening if not medically treated. Treatment at Priory can help those affected to focus on any associated mental health problems which might co-exist with sleep apnoea.       

Narcolepsy

Describes uncontrollable daytime sleepiness which can cause involuntary and unpredictable periods of sleep when at work, driving, or even in the middle of a conversation. This happens due to a problem with the part of your brain regulating sleeping and waking, which would usually respond to triggers such as brightness in order to prepare your body for more socially appropriate waking and sleeping cycles.

As many people with narcolepsy can experience symptoms of depression due to its impact on daily life, psychotherapy and counselling at Priory can help you cope with the effects of the disorder, and help you to learn techniques to managing sleep cycles as best you can.                    

Restless leg syndrome (RLS)

This is an urge to move your legs and sometimes arms during the night, and is often brought on by a general feeling of being uncomfortable, including tingling or aching sensations experienced when lying down. Learning techniques to manage levels of stress and improving the amount of sleep you get can reduce associated symptoms.        

Whilst sleep is a subjective phenomenon, with each of us requiring different amounts of sleep each night in order to function effectively, research indicates that individuals who regularly achieve less than 3.5 hours sleep per night are likely to experience negative consequences as a result of sleep deprivation. Comprehensive therapy and treatment can help to improve this.  

Some other signs that you may be suffering from a sleep disorder include:

• Difficulty falling and staying asleep - a common symptom of insomnia which could be the result of excessive worry or an anxiety disorder, depression, physical pain or simply an irregular sleep habit
• Being awake for most of the night, despite wanting and trying to sleep
• Waking up early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep
• Interrupted sleep - may be caused by an uncomfortable bed, nightmares or sleep apnoea.
• Waking up tired and feeling un-refreshed
• Struggling to complete day-to-day tasks due to lack of energy
• Reduced productivity and performance at work
• Poor concentration
• Indecisiveness
• Daytime drowsiness
• Irritability and agitation

If you believe that the above symptoms match much of what you are currently experiencing, it may indicate you have a sleep disorder. If you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, it is also possible that a co-existing mental health condition such as anxiety or depression may be contributing to your symptoms.

Priory’s specialist team of highly trained therapists can work with you to adjust your behaviours towards sleep and learn techniques for reducing anxiety and stress levels so that your amount and quality of sleep is improved.           

Sleep can be affected by a whole host of factors including environmental influences as well as your general mental and physical health. The following may all increase the likelihood that you may go on to develop a sleep disorder:

• Existing mental health problems (e.g. depression, stress, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety)
• Certain physical health conditions (e.g. respiratory conditions, chronic pain, arthritis)
• Certain medications (e.g. steroid medication, medication for epilepsy and blood pressure, certain antidepressants)
• Poor sleeping environment
• Inconsistent sleep routine
• Napping during the day
• Shift work
• Smoking cigarettes, especially in the evening
• Consuming alcohol prior to going to bed
• Drinking too much caffeine, especially in the evening
• Recreational drug use

Further possible factors which may contribute to developing a sleep disorder include:

Genetics

Studies have shown that sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, which is caused by a part of the brain controlling sleep and wakefulness not functioning correctly, may be due to an inherited problem from birth.

Working unsociable hours

Despite your biological clock making you feel sleepy during darkened hours, if your job requires you to work during the evening, then you cannot fall asleep during these natural hours. This could contribute to you developing a sleep disorder as your most energetic part of the day is at a time when your body naturally wants to ‘wind down’.

Medications

If you are taking certain types of drugs such as some antidepressants or blood pressure medication, the timing of administration as well as side effects of these drugs can create problems with sleep. It is important to remember that everyone reacts to such drugs differently, and it may take time for them to settle in your system enough for any unwanted side effects to wear off.

Ageing

It is thought that around half of adults over the age of 65 have symptoms of a sleep disorder. This could be due to your brain adjusting to old age, or taking account of the fact that you may experience a greater number of health problems and general aches and pains, which could lead to poorer quality of sleep in comparison to your youth.

When you are living with a sleep disorder, it is important that you seek professional help and therapeutic guidance to help manage your stress levels, alongside undergoing a treatment programme to treat underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression which may be causing you to have difficulty sleeping.

Despite this, maintaining a positive daytime and bedtime routine can ensure that you continue to be free from the symptoms of a sleep disorder and are able to live a happy and healthy life for as long as possible.

Listed below are four lifestyle changes you can make which may improve your quality of sleep and overall wellbeing:

1) Regular sleep hours - one of the best ways to improve symptoms of a sleeping disorder is to ensure you go to bed and wake up at similar hours. Regularly staying up late or waking up at different times each day can make it more difficult to programme your body into getting and staying asleep long enough to feel refreshed and energised the following day.

2) Create a relaxing sleeping environment - the room where you sleep should always be as comfortable as possible in order to prompt good quality sleep. Having pets in the room can be disruptive if they often move around when you are sleeping, while temperature, light and noise levels should be controlled to allow you to rest without any distractions. It is also important that you don’t stimulate your brain too much before sleeping, including interacting with your phone or watching TV.

3) Exercise regularly - while exercise may not seem to directly impact your ability to get to or stay asleep, regular exercise such as biking, swimming or walking can help reduce stress and release ‘happy’ chemicals in the brain known as endorphins. The muscle relaxing properties of endorphins can help reduce tension and worry which might be stopping you from getting enough rest.  Try and avoid exercising around bedtime, though as you may feel too energised to fall asleep.                     

4) Be creative - if you enjoy expressing your innermost thoughts through writing, drawing or playing an instrument, this can help reduce stress associated with work, school or personal relationships that can cause problems with sleep. Writing down your worries and making a plan for the following day can also help stop you from overthinking at night, which can prevent you from getting to sleep.