Ask Sam

Hi there

When something is stopping us from sleeping it can have a knock-on effect to other parts of our lives. Trying to find a way to cope with something like insomnia is hard because there’s no quick fix that works for everyone. It can mean trying a lot of different things before you find what works for you.

One of the main problems with sleeping difficulties is that the more we worry about it, the harder it can be to sleep. As it gets later in the night and we’re still not asleep it can be tempting to think about how soon we’re going to have to get up, and how tired we’re going to be the next day.

I recently answered a similar letter about sleeping problems that you might find useful to read – it gives a lot of practical tips on how to help yourself sleep. If those things don’t work then the best person to help you is your doctor. I can see you’ve been prescribed with sleeping medication, but if they don’t work then it’s important to tell your doctor this so they can try something else.

Keeping your teachers at school informed can help too because if they know you’re struggling with sleep, they may be able to help to ease your workload whilst you get better. The key thing here is that to get help from people you often need to ask for it. Don’t be afraid of telling people like your doctor or your teachers – they are there to help you.

I hope that this letter helps you, though you can always talk to a counsellor if you need more support.

Take care.
Sam