Common Causes of Sleep Disorders and their Potential Solutions

Many people take a good night’s sleep for granted. It is a natural part of most people’s daily routines and is one of the body’s most natural processes. Enjoying a full nights sleep (ideally between 7-9 hours for most adults) is vital to allow the body to perform at its best the following day. Sufficient sleep ensures that the body can repair itself after physical exercise and exertion; if you have ever experienced a night without sleep, you will fully understand how it can make the next day extremely difficult.

Concentration levels are likely to be lower, and a person’s mood may suffer as the direct result of inadequate sleep. Over prolonged periods, poor sleep or insomnia (severe lack of sleep regularly) can dramatically reduce quality of life. It may even increase the risk of suffering from serious health conditions in later years. This article will discuss some common causes of poor sleep and potential solutions that may help normal sleep patterns resume.

Some causes of poor sleep

A wide range of specific causes can lead to a poor night’s sleep. In brief, these may include:

• Consuming too much caffeine (e.g., by drinking too many cups of tea, coffee or caffeinated energy drinks)
• Drinking alcohol to excess (this can reduce both the quality and quality of your sleep)
• Environmental factors (such as sleeping in a noisy room or having an uncomfortable bed)
• Not partaking in exercise (exercise has been proven to help aid restful sleep)
• Suffering from stress or worry

This list is not exhaustive but contains some of the key reasons why people struggle to sleep occasionally. By reading this list, you will see that many of the reasons listed above can be resolved by reducing the consumption of certain products, improving your sleeping environment, or exercising regularly.

Stress is more difficult to resolve, as a combination of factors may lead to feeling stressed, or their solutions may be hard to define. If you are stressed for long periods, speak with trusted friends, as this can be a key way to improve your mental health. If problems persist and you continue to struggle to sleep, it may be wise to speak to your family doctor.

Prescribed medical cannabis

In the UK, the laws were relaxed in 2018 to allow the prescribing of cannabis by doctors for various medical conditions. One of these conditions is for insomnia. If a patient can demonstrate that they have tried other “first-line” treatments for insomnia and these have not managed to cure this problem, they may be eligible to apply for Releaf medical cannabis.

A patient will need to be assessed by a healthcare professional who will take information on the severity of the sleep condition, what treatments have previously been tried, and what their outcomes were.

At present, only a small proportion of the UK population are eligible for medicinal cannabis, and there must be clear evidence that all the eligibility criteria have been satisfied. Put simply, cannabis is still classified as an illegal recreational drug, so specific protocols must be followed before medical professionals can prescribe it.