Sleep problems

It is common to sometimes struggle with our sleep; from time to time, we might find it difficult getting off to sleep or we might wake up in the night. These difficulties often settle down after a short while, but if they continue over a longer stretch of time it can start to affect our lives.

If you regularly have problems sleeping well, this is known as having a sleep disturbance. Some sleep disturbances may be caused by circumstances in your life, such as a stressful event, or there may be an underlying health condition.

Common signs of sleep disturbances are:

difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up earlier than preferred. This is also known as insomnia.
problems that disturb sleep, for example panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares or psychosis.
difficulty waking up or getting out of bed.
feeling tired or sleepy.
sleeping too little or too much.

Problems with sleeping well can cause people to:

have psychotic episodes because poor sleep can trigger mania, psychosis or paranoia.
feel anxious, depressed, suicidal, or make already existing symptoms worse.
feel lonely, isolated, irritable, or have problems with day-to-day life.
struggle to concentrate or make decisions.

If you think you, your child or young person you care for might be showing signs of having sleep disturbances, please speak to your GP or school health nurse.

The following self-help resources will guide you, or a young person you care for, with tips and advice about sleep disturbances:

Moodzone: NHS audio about sleep problems.
Headspace: mindfulness and meditation app with lots of resources to help improve sleep. There may be some additional charges within the app.
Sleep Council: advice and tools to help improve sleep.
The Sleep Charity: the children’s sleep charity has useful information and resources.
NHS Every Mind Matters.
Young Minds: a guide for young people on mental health with a page on sleep disturbances.
The Mix: charity that provides free, confidential support for young people under 25 years via online, social and mobile. There are pages dedicated to sleep and top tips for sleeping well.

If you are struggling with a sleep disturbance, there are lots of services to support you with your mental health and wellbeing. People with sleep disturbances can experience all the things that others who sleep well may struggle with, like low mood or anxiety.

CAMHS is unable to take referrals specifically for sleep disturbances, but we can support people with sleep disturbances who also have other mental health difficulties. Please speak to your family doctor (GP) or your school health nurse for more advice about sleep. For advice about other mental health difficulties, visit our conditions overview page.

Page last updated: 24 March 2022