Delegate: Bryan Turner
Affiliation: Bryan Turner
Short Bio: Pharmacist, with a strong interest in public health. I write a monthly article for a local community magazine with a distribution of 40,000.
Activity: Article for March 2025 Inside Magazines.
Subject: Sleep Disorders
Title: Regular Sleep, Healthy Future
A good night’s sleep works wonders for our physical and mental health, and fundamentally improves our quality of life. In the modern 24 hour society, with so many demands and stimuli, lack of sleep is common. But taking some easy steps can make sleep better, and help you avoid insomnia.
If you have insomnia, it simply means that you are having sleep problems. Too often though, sufferers head to the GP thinking that a sleeping pill is the answer. In my early days in Pharmacy in the 80’s and 90’s that was usually the case. Many patients were being prescribed Temazepam or Nitrazepam. However these are rarely prescribed nowadays as evidence mounted of the long term harm, the potential for drug abuse and doubts about the long term medical effectiveness of this type of medication. Sleeping pills are now only prescribed when other options have been tried and failed. NHS guidance says that they should be used only intermittently, and used only for a few days or weeks at the most.
People often ask how much sleep you really need to function well. This varies, but for adults it will be between 7 and 9 hours. Children need more, between 9 and 13 hours. Toddlers and babies are recommended to have between 12 and 17 hours – they have all that growing to do!
Having insomnia means you find it hard to go to sleep, you wake up for periods during the night perhaps lying awake for an extended period, and you will still feel tired after getting up in the morning. You might like to take a nap during the day, but you still find that difficult even though you are tired. All of this will make you tired and irritable during your waking hours.
Common causes of insomnia include stress, anxiety or depression. Environmental reasons include noise, a room that is too hot or cold, and even an uncomfortable bed. Your dietary habits could be a cause, including eating too late at night. Stimulant drugs like caffeine or nicotine will stop or disrupt sleep, similarly alcohol. Being on shift work is often unavoidable but can play havoc with the sleep cycle. Also some prescribed medications can cause wakefulness.
Before you would be prescribed medication for sleeplessness, a practitioner will want to explore all of the above, and more. Having a good preparation for sleep, in a comfortable environment, is known as having “good sleep hygiene” and a practitioner will try to guide you towards this.
Having a healthy sleep routine or hygiene means you get a restorative sleep, which comes from the length of your sleep as well as the depth, and avoiding spells of wakefulness. You should establish a sleep routine, by sticking to a regular bedtime, and also get up at the same time each day, seven days a week. This will train your “body clock”, and you will eventually find that you are ready to switch off and go to sleep.
The effect of caffeine on sleep is widely known and many people only drink coffee in the morning. Others love to have a hot soothing drink before they go to bed, it is wise to choose one that is caffeine free such as a sleep friendly herbal tea containing lavender and valerian, which are widely available in supermarkets and health food stores. You can also buy herbal tablets. Some sleeping tablets available in Pharmacies contain a dose of antihistamine, whose side effect in drowsiness. However they only work for a few days at a time as your body adjusts to them and you must avoid alcohol if you are taking them.
Try to cut down on watching television or using your phone or tablet right before going to bed. Some experts advise having an outright ban on electrical items being in the bedroom.
A big meal in the evening should be avoided if you have insomnia. Eat your main meal at lunchtime, and only have a snack in the evening. If indigestion at night keeps you awake, ask your Pharmacist for help as remedies are available over the counter.
Having good “sleep hygiene” can take a little bit of work and discipline, but the benefits can be huge.
Bryan Turner MRPharmS
Location: Worthing, West Sussex
Date of Activity: March, 2025
Submitted by: Bryan Turner
