Insomnia
Long term difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, with daytime consequences.
About this condition
Insomnia means persistent difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking too early, with a clear effect on daytime functioning. When it lasts 3 months or more it is considered chronic. It often begins with a period of stress, illness or pain and then continues on its own once habits and anxiety about sleep have taken hold.
The recommended first treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, which works well and lasts longer than medication. Sleeping tablets are advised only for short periods because of tolerance and dependence. Insomnia is also frequently secondary to pain, breathing problems or a mental health condition, so an assessment always looks for what is driving it.
Treatments people usually try first
These are the treatments commonly offered in the UK for this condition. A specialist doctor will want to know which of them you have tried, and what happened.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, in person or digital
- Sleep hygiene, stimulus control and sleep restriction techniques
- Short term hypnotic medicines such as zopiclone
- Melatonin in specific circumstances
- Treatment of underlying pain, mood or breathing problems
- Investigation for sleep apnoea where snoring or apnoeas are reported
Could medical cannabis be appropriate?
People with this condition sometimes ask whether medical cannabis could be appropriate for them. That is a question for a specialist doctor, who will look at your diagnosis, your history and everything you have already tried before saying anything either way.
Medical cannabis is an unlicensed prescription only medicine in the UK. It is considered only where a diagnosed condition has not responded adequately to conventional treatment, and it is never a first step. We cannot tell you in advance what might be prescribed, and UK law does not allow us to describe or advertise any medicine on this website.
What we can do is assess you properly and be honest with you. If a specialist doctor does not think this route is right for you, they will say so, and they will explain why.
All treatment is subject to clinical assessment and eligibility.
Questions about insomnia
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