Sleep problems - insomnia

Insomnia is when you have difficulty falling asleep, or getting back to sleep if you wake in the night. Most people at some stage in their lives have difficulty sleeping. Usually this is only temporary.

Lack of sleep affects your mood, energy levels and most importantly for farmers – it affects your ability to concentrate and perform farming tasks safely. You are at increased risk of having an accident on the farm if you are not sleeping well.

Most adults sleep for around six to eight hours every night and, if they wake up during the night, it generally takes around 15 minutes to fall asleep again.  If you are lying awake in the middle of the night, your mind racing while you’re staring at the ceiling, you are experiencing insomnia.

Causes
Insomnia can be caused by:

• Pain – eg sore back, toothache,
• Ongoing respiratory (breathing) problems
• Drinks with caffeine, like coffee, tea or cola, especially if you have them in the evening.
• Medications
• Stress, worry or family problems
• Grief

It can be a vicious cycle, the more you worry about not sleeping the harder it is to sleep well.

Tips to help you sleep

• Avoid caffeine in the evening (tea, coffee, cola, ‘energy’ drinks etc)
• Do something you find relaxing before you go to bed (don’t go to bed straight after doing the books for hours!)
• Go to bed when you feel sleepy
• Establish a regular  sleep-wake cycle
• Don’t eat too close to bedtime
• Get some exercise during the day, but not just before bedtime
• Try to leave your problems at the bedroom door.

If you have been suffering from insomnia for a long time, see your doctor or a health professional for advice.