Anxiety
Most people experience feelings of anxiety at some points in their life and is not uncommon. This page provides information about anxiety and where you can find support.
Sleep is essential to the maintenance of physical and psychological health. Look at how you might be able to improve your quality and quantity of sleep.
A good night’s sleep is essential to the maintenance of physical and psychological health. We all know how difficult life can be when we’re not sleeping well. Poor sleep can have a negative impact on energy levels, mood, performance and enjoyment of life, soo it’s worth taking a few minutes to think about how you might be able to improve your quality and quantity of sleep.
During sleep our heart rate slows, body temperature falls and complex changes take place in brain activity. When we first fall asleep we enter the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage of sleep. NREM is divided into three stages, with each stage becoming progressively deeper.
NREM1 and NREM2 are light stages of sleep from which we are easily woken. NREM3 is a deeper stage of sleep and some may feel disorientated if woken from this sleep stage. Finally, we move onto stage four which is known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It is during this stage of sleep that people dream. Normal sleep patterns consist of a mix of all the different stages of sleep.
Most adults need between six and nine hours of sleep every night. By working out what time you need to wake up, you can set a regular bedtime schedule to help aid a good night’s sleep. The NHS Choices website recommends that people who are struggling to sleep may find that keeping a sleep diary can help. This may help to uncover lifestyle habits that can contribute to insomnia. A typical sleep diary may include answers to some of the following questions:
If you do go to your GP or a sleep expert for more help with sleeping they may ask you to keep a sleep diary to aid their diagnosis of your sleep problem. For further information, see the NHS Choices website.
Sleep is essential to the maintenance of physical and psychological health. Look at how you might be able to improve your quality and quantity of sleep.
People for whom sleep problems are a regular occurrence and are interfering with their daily life, may be suffering from a sleep disorder.
Continued poor sleep can affect the brain’s function and lead to problems such as forgetfulness, irritability or lack of concentration. Given that insomnia can be impacted by lifestyle choices, here are some tips that might help to improve your sleep:
Some prescription and over-the-counter medication can cause insomnia as a side effect. It may be worth checking with your GP or pharmacist to see if any medication you are taking could cause insomnia or sleeping difficulties.
Restless legs syndrome is a medical disorder that causes an urge to move your legs (this can also affect some people’s arms). This urge develops when sufferers are lying down or resting and usually involves uncomfortable, tingly or aching sensations. This sensation is often worse in the evenings and during the night, so it is most commonly associated with difficulty in sleeping.
Sufferers often find that the discomfort eases when they move, stretch or massage their legs. In some instances, restless legs syndrome is linked to an underlying medical condition, for example, iron deficiency or kidney disease. In instances where it is not related to an underlying medical condition, sufferers might find that regular exercise, good sleep habits and quitting smoking may help. For further information and support, see the RLS-UK, the restless legs syndrome charity website.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing. These pauses in breathing interrupt the sufferer’s sleep and whilst people rarely remember the interruptions, they can often feel exhausted, tired and irritable during the day.
Sleep apnoea is a serious condition and anybody who suspects that they may have sleep apnoea should consult their doctor to discuss treatment options.
For further information about sleep apnoea, including advice about treatment, see the British Snoring and Sleep Aponoea Association website.
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes people to fall asleep very suddenly at inappropriate times. It is caused by a malfunction of the brain mechanism that controls sleeping and waking. People who have narcolepsy may have sleep attacks at any time, for example, whilst working, talking or driving.
For more information, including the diagnosis and treatment of narcolepsy, see the Narcolepsy Association UK website.
Conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress commonly cause insomnia and sleep disturbances. Equally, people who suffer from a severe sleep problem over a long period of time can go on to develop a mental health problem. Often, people with long-term sleep problems can develop unhelpful thoughts and associations with sleep that make the problem worse.
In these instances counselling, also known as a talking therapy, can be offered for a range of sleep problems. Pharmacist Support can help pharmacists to access counselling through our counselling partnership.
The Mind website has advice about how to deal with sleep problems that are related to mental health conditions, for example, anxiety and depression. For further information, see the Mind website.
The NHS England Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is designed to help people to access therapy easily. Anyone who needs therapy, such as counselling, can access it through their GP, workplace, educational establishment or voluntary and charitable organisations. Ordinarily, this service is free to NHS users and GPs should be aware of what is available to patients in their local area and also make the necessary referral.
For people who prefer not to go through their GP, some services have a self-referral option which enables you to go directly to a professional therapist. To search for local psychological therapy services, see the NHS Choices website.
Availability of services can vary and NHS therapy in some parts of England, in particular rural areas or small towns, can be very limited. Equally, people may have to wait a long time or travel some distance to find something suitable.
If you live in Wales or Scotland, please visit Health in Wales or NHS Scotland for information about services.
Pharmacist Support’s Listening Friends peer support telephone helpline is staffed by trained volunteers and provides callers with the opportunity to talk anonymously and in confidence to a pharmacist about any stresses or pressure you may be feeling. You can find out more and request a Listening Friend here.
Sleep centres can help with the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders. People will need a referral from their GP in order to access an NHS sleep clinic. For a list of sleep clinics in the UK, see the Sleep Apnoea Trust website.
YoungMinds is a charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. Parents who are worried about their child’s sleeping habits can call the YoungMinds Parents’ Helpline on 0808 802 5544, or for further information, see the YoungMinds website.
This page was last reviewed in March 2024.
Most people experience feelings of anxiety at some points in their life and is not uncommon. This page provides information about anxiety and where you can find support.
Listening Friends is our peer support service. This peer support service offers you the choice of speaking in confidence and anonymously to one of our trained volunteer pharmacists.
Wellbeing can be affected by all manner of different things, for example: diet and lifestyle, workplace pressures and personal relationships.