Sleep is as essential to us as food, air and water. Sometime in your life you may have difficulty sleeping - many people do. It is important to know that nearly everyone has problems sleeping at some time or other and it is thought that a third of people in the UK have bouts of insomnia.

You can always talk to us to ask advice, either come in to see us or telephone on 01904 721 541 or email us at info@thepriorypharmacy.co.uk

Anyone can suffer from insomnia. While it is not an illness and is in no way life-threatening, insomnia can be very distressing, frustrating, exhausting, depressing and at worst it can make you feel like you're going crazy.

What can you do about insomnia?

A great deal. The good news about insomnia is that you can cure yourself - in your own way, in your own time and at your own pace. You may wish to enlist the help of your doctor, or pharmacist, but you won't necessarily need to. However you must be prepared to make some changes in your lifestyle in order to sleep better.

If you have periods of poor sleep or anxiety, try some of the helpful guides below.

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine & alcohol before bedtime. Some suggest stopping any caffeine after 4pm
• Avoid a heavy meal within two hours of bedtime, however a light snack may help if you are hungry.
• Regular exercise late in the afternoon or in the early evening may deepen sleep but do not exercise vigorously within three hours of bedtime.
• Develop a bedtime ritual such as reading or listening to relaxing music, watching TV etc. so that your body knows that you are getting ready to go to sleep.
• Don't go to bed too early. If you try to go to sleep too early before feeling sleepy you will have difficulty getting to sleep. This may make you feel irritated and frustrated about not feeling sleepy, not falling asleep and anxious about how you will cope the next day.
• Do not stay in bed if you are awake. If you go to bed when you are feeling tired but do not fall asleep within about 15-20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room and do something mundane until you feel sleepy again. Repeat this procedure until you fall asleep quickly.
• Get up at the same time each morning. Do not sleep in on weekends or after a late night.
• Do not nap during the day. This can reduce your sleepiness at night, and poorer quality sleep
• Don't worry if you can't get to sleep at night because worry and anxiety will delay sleep even more. The harder you try the worse it will be. If you get very little sleep one night you will still function the next day although you may be a little more irritable and tired than usual.
• Medication should only be used if your insomnia is having a detrimental effect on your normal daily function and has been continuous for 2 weeks. Consult one of our pharmacist; who may be able to prescribe some over the counter medication for short-term use.

And if all else fails, try counting sheep . . .