Can’t sleep

What is insomnia?

• you are often tired during the day;
• you sleep at unusual times. At random times you most want to sleep;
• you have difficulty falling asleep. You have difficulty falling asleep when you go to bed;
• you exhibit unusual behavior while sleeping;
• you can’t sleep through the night; you keep waking up at night and can’t go back to sleep;
• you wake up too often or too early;
• you sleep restlessly.

• there is resistance to sleeping at bedtime;
• there is difficulty sleeping without help from a caregiver.

How do I know what a healthy sleep rhythm is?

Here’s how to determine what constitutes a good night’s sleep:

• How many hours you sleep per night.
  On average, you sleep about 6 to 10 hours per night. Exactly how much varies from person to person.
• How long it takes you to fall asleep.
  Most people fall asleep about 20 minutes after their head hits the pillow.
• How much you lie awake.
  It is normal to sometimes wake up (briefly) during sleep. Especially early in the morning.
• The amount of bad nights.
  If you occasionally sleep poorly, it does not affect your rhythm.
• Your age.
  Depending on your age, you need more or less sleep. Also, you sleep less deeply as you get older.

Why can’t I sleep?

1. Mental complaints

• Stress
  Stress makes it harder for you to fall asleep. Do you experience too much stress during the day? Then in the evening your head and body do not have enough time to come to rest. You recognize this by a rushed feeling when you lie down in bed. It feels as if you are “on” too much.
• Worrying
  Worrying creates tension that prevents you from getting to sleep. We worry especially in bed at night because then we are all alone with our thoughts. There’s also a vicious circle lurking here: you’re worried about something, so you start worrying. This makes you feel rushed and anxious, and you prefer to want a solution right away. This rushed feeling does not promote your sleep.
• Anxiety
  Anxiety makes you experience a lot of tension. And when you are in bed, the distractions of the day fall away. Your fears get all the space they need to haunt your head. The result: falling asleep is difficult and you sleep badly. Moreover, you regularly wake up at night.
• Depression
  Also with depression, falling asleep is more difficult and you wake up frequently at night. Gloomy thoughts haunt your mind, preventing you from falling asleep. And because you can’t get to sleep, you run a higher risk of relapsing into depressive thoughts. This creates a vicious cycle.

2. Physical complaints

3. Sleep disorders

• Sleep apnea.
  You can just fall asleep during the day and snore loudly at night.
• Narcolepsy.
  A condition in which you just fall asleep during the day while doing a, usually, quiet activity. Narcolepsy is also accompanied by frequent waking at night.
• Restless Leg Syndrome.
  The intolerable urge to move the legs.
• Disturbed biological clock.
  For example, delayed sleep phase syndrome, where you fall asleep very late at night and have difficulty getting up at a normal (socially desirable) time.

4. Lifestyle

What does insomnia do to me?

• You have less energy during the day;
• You have decreased concentration;
• You have decreased motivation;
• You are forgetful;
• You have a bad mood more often;
• You suffer from mood swings;
• You sometimes suffer from hyperactivity, aggressiveness or tantrums;
• You make mistakes more quickly;
• You are more likely to be dissatisfied.

What can I do myself?