Forget Counting Sheep, Try Answering These Key Questions About Why You Can’t Sleep

An ongoing inability to sleep is never a pleasant experience. In the depths of the night, it can feel like you’re the only person in the world awake tossing and turning. Time may move incredibly slowly, and with every second, you’ll be painfully aware of how tired you’ll feel by the morning.

This struggle is bad enough on a one-off restless night, but if you’re experiencing similar sleeplessness each time your head hits the pillow, you’re likely desperate to fix the issue and get back to better sleep at last. 

Unfortunately, the old myth of counting sheep doesn’t even come close to working on nights like these. Instead, you might be better off using your sleepless nights to answer the following crucial questions. 

# 1 – How long has this been happening?

Firstly, it can help to consider how long you’ve been struggling to sleep before now. According to the diagnostic criteria, insomnia will impact an individual for at least three nights a week. With chronic insomnia, this will go on for three months or more. 

This can be useful to consider as, if you’re only experiencing, say, one night of sleeplessness every few weeks, it could have a more direct cause, such as something you’re eating/doing on that day, or something you’re nervous about. By comparison, long-lasting, recurring insomnia is often more closely linked to things like underlying health conditions. 

# 2 – Is there an underlying issue?

Sleeplessness rarely happens without cause, so your next best option is to consider whether there’s an underlying issue. 

There are many health-related reasons for experiencing sleep difficulty, including issues like sleep apnea and anxiety. Equally, around 50-75% of people with ADHD report experiencing regular sleep difficulties of this nature. Speaking to a professional in these instances may lead you to therapy, medication, or an ADHD assessment which could make it easier for you to find potential sleep coping mechanisms. 

Equally, certain underlying causes may be more lifestyle-related, such as exercising too little or failing to develop a sleep-positive bedtime routine. 

# 3 – Do you struggle to fall asleep, or wake suddenly?

It’s also worth considering whether your struggles lie in falling asleep or waking up long before your alarm. Struggling to get to sleep in the first place could be far more indicative of the insomnia and underlying issues we’ve already mentioned. 

By comparison, waking suddenly may suggest that something about your surroundings is disturbing your sleep instead, such as sudden noises or a snoring partner. Try to sleep somewhere different, and if you sleep better, consider steps such as earplugs or snoring strips for your partner!

Conclusion

Sleep is essential, and if you’re going without it too often, you’re likely desperate to understand what’s happening for both your health and your sanity. While counting sheep might not be much help in this situation, getting to the bottom of your sleeplessness with these key questions might just help you to understand what’s happening, why, and what you can do to address the issue.

*This is a collaboration post