Sleep problems

You lie awake at night with a head full of thoughts. During the day you are exhausted, but in the evening the worrying starts again. Sleep problems can be treated, and it begins with understanding what keeps you awake.

Do you recognise this?

  • You lie awake for more than 30 minutes before you fall asleep
  • You wake up several times during the night
  • You lie in bed worrying about the day gone or the day ahead
  • You are tired during the day but wide awake in the evening
  • You dread going to bed because you know you will not sleep
  • You have tried all sorts of things, but nothing works for long
  • Lack of sleep affects your mood, your concentration and your energy

What are sleep problems?

Sleep problems, or insomnia, mean that you have persistent trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or that you wake too early. This is not about a few bad nights. It is a pattern that affects how you function day to day.

It often starts with a stressful period: you sleep badly for a few nights, which makes sense. But then you change your behaviour: to bed earlier, lying there longer, resting during the day. Without noticing, you keep the problem going. A vicious circle forms of poor sleep, worrying about sleep and growing frustration.

The good news: sleep problems respond very well to treatment without medication. The most effective approach is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which breaks the underlying patterns.

Symptoms of sleep problems

Symptoms at night

  • Lying awake a long time before falling asleep
  • Waking several times a night
  • Waking too early and not being able to get back to sleep
  • Worrying or restless thoughts in bed
  • Restless sleep or nightmares

During the day

  • Chronic tiredness and sleepiness
  • Concentration problems and forgetfulness
  • Irritability and mood swings
  • Functioning less well at work or socially

Patterns of behaviour

  • Going to bed too early or staying in bed too long
  • Napping during the day
  • Using screens late into the evening
  • Using alcohol or sleeping tablets to get to sleep

Do you recognise several of these symptoms? Book a free intro call and talk through what you are experiencing.

Treatment

Treatment for sleep problems aims to restore your natural sleep rhythm and to break the patterns of worrying that keep you awake.

CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia)

The gold standard for sleep problems. More effective than sleeping tablets in the long run. It combines behavioural techniques with tackling the worrying about sleep.

Sleep restriction

By limiting your time in bed for a while to the hours you really sleep, you build up sleep pressure and your sleep becomes deep and unbroken again.

Stimulus control

Your bed comes to mean sleeping again rather than worrying. Clear rules help your brain restore the signal 'bed means sleep'.

Cognitive techniques

Worrying and catastrophic thoughts about sleep ('if I do not sleep, I will not be able to function tomorrow') are recognised and adjusted.

How long treatment takes

Treatment for sleep problems is usually relatively short and effective.

Short-term (5-8 sessions)

The standard CBT-I protocol. Most people notice their sleep quality improving after 3 to 4 weeks.

Extended (8-12 sessions)

For when sleep problems go together with anxiety, depression or other symptoms that also need attention.

The treatment lengths given here are a guide. Every programme runs differently, and we tune the treatment to your own situation and needs.

Curious what a course of treatment costs? See the prices per session and what your insurer or employer may cover.

See the prices

When to seek help

Seek help if you recognise the following:

  • Your sleep problems have lasted longer than three months
  • Lack of sleep means you function noticeably less well during the day
  • You have developed anxiety around sleeping
  • Self-help tips and sleep hygiene have not helped
  • You are using sleeping tablets and want to come off them
  • Lack of sleep is affecting your mood, your relationships or your work

What you can do yourself

Good sleep hygiene is the foundation. Start here:

Sleep rhythm

  • Get up at the same time every day, weekends included
  • Only go to bed when you are genuinely sleepy
  • Keep daytime naps to 20 minutes at most

Sleep environment

  • Make your bedroom dark, cool and quiet
  • Use your bed only for sleeping (and sex)
  • Avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before sleep

Tackling the worrying

  • Write your worries down before you go to bed
  • If you lie awake for more than 20 minutes, get up
  • Do something calm until you feel sleepy again

Sleep hygiene helps, but it does not always solve persistent sleep problems. If things do not improve, CBT-I is the next step.

Frequently asked questions about sleep problems

Yes, and it is an important part of the treatment. A sleep diary helps us recognise patterns and measure progress. It does not have to be complicated. A few minutes a day is enough.

At the start you may feel more tired for a while, but that is temporary. Limiting your time in bed builds up sleep pressure, so you fall asleep sooner and sleep more deeply. It is the technique proven to be most effective.

CBT-I exists precisely to make sleeping tablets unnecessary. You always taper them in consultation with your GP (huisarts) or psychiatrist. We then work in parallel: therapy for better sleep, your doctor for tapering the medication.

Most people notice a clear improvement after 2 to 4 weeks. Your sleep rhythm usually takes 6 to 8 weeks to settle completely. It asks for some perseverance, but the results last.

Start today

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Book a free, no-obligation 15-minute phone call and find out what I can do for you.

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