As a sleep expert what do I see is the worst thing for insomnia?

I think the worst thing is when we lie in bed willing ourselves to sleep, and frustrated with ourselves when we can’t.

It doesn’t work…

You will never be able to will yourself to sleep, but what you are doing is increasing your anxiety and the tension in your body. You’re starting to get anxious and stressed about the fact that you can’t sleep, and that is actually going to make it worse.

I ask that you enjoy your extra wake time, we often moan there aren’t enough hours in the day, so enjoy them!

Leave the bedroom, go and finish your evening routine and enjoy yourself. Do something comforting that you love to do, not something you have to do like work.

And then when you feel sleepy, take yourself back to bed. If you don’t feel sleepy, it’s not the end of the world.

But what will be is if you worry and you get anxious and stressed and force yourself to do things which your body clearly doesn’t want to do. You’re going to make insomnia worse and find yourself in that position night after night.

So, if you’re up at night, leave your bedroom and go and enjoy your wake time.