Sleep: things that may help over the coming weeks
Not getting enough sleep or poor quality sleep makes you tired and fatigued. This can, over time, lead to poor mental health and other medical conditions.
Top tips for improving sleep
- view the video from Better Health for advice about getting a good night's sleep
- read Sleepstation’s guide on the ‘Ideal Bedroom Setup’
- avoid vigorous activity near bedtime as it may affect your sleep. Being more active during the day, however, can help you sleep better. Find more advice on our move more webpage.
- add more relaxation into your routine. Apps like Pzizz can help relax your body and mind with a series of audio tracks
- sleeping aids, such as tablets or liquids, can be bought from a pharmacy, but are not a long term solution. For more information visit the NHS webpage on insomnia
Think about why you are not sleeping
It might be helpful to work out why you are not sleeping in the first place. It can be a good idea to keep a sleep diary. It may uncover lifestyle habits, issues or daily activities that contribute to your sleeplessness.
If you think poor mental or physical health might be affecting your sleep, you can find advice and support on our other webpages
Therapy can also be used as a way to help you feel more resilient, which can therefore improve your sleep.
SilverCloud is a free online therapy programme which you can use whenever you have spare time. To sign up, visit the GM SilverCloud website.
NHS Stockport Talking Therapies offers a number of forms of therapy, including individual and group therapy, completely free. To access these, complete a referral form on the NHS Stockport Talking Therapies website.
Pure Innovations also offers to one therapy sessions, either face to face, virtually, or over the phone. To access that, complete the Pure Innovations referral form on its therapy webpage.
If sleep continues to be a problem
If you cannot sleep and it's affecting your daily life, or if you have insomnia that lasts for more than 4 weeks, make an appointment to see your GP. They'll explore any psychological, physical or lifestyle causes.