Better nights start with understanding what keeps you awake.

It is hard to feel like yourself after weeks or months of broken sleep. You might lie awake with a busy mind, wake during the night and watch the clock, or start to dread bedtime because you expect another difficult night.

Sleep problems can have many causes. Stress, pain, mood, routines and health conditions can all play a part, and often more than one is involved.

Understanding your sleep pattern

Therapy begins with a closer look at what happens across your day and night:

• Your sleep pattern and the things you have already tried
• The thoughts or habits that may be keeping the problem going
• Practical changes to test
• Worry about sleep, and any related anxiety, low mood or pain

CBT-based approaches to insomnia can be useful for persistent sleep difficulties. If your symptoms suggest a medical sleep issue, we will encourage you to discuss that with your GP as well. The aim is a plan that fits your circumstances, rather than another list of generic sleep tips.

A first conversation

You do not need a perfect sleep diary before reaching out. Tell us what your nights have been like and how they are affecting the rest of your life.