Understanding sleep problems & insomnia
Good sleep is essential for mood, memory, concentration and physical health. Insomnia means difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early — along with feeling unrefreshed and tired during the day. When this happens at least three nights a week for three months or more, it is called chronic insomnia.
Sleep problems are often linked with stress, anxiety, depression, irregular work shifts, late-night screen use, pain, caffeine or alcohol. In older adults, sleep naturally becomes lighter, but very poor sleep may point to an underlying issue. Snoring with pauses in breathing may suggest sleep apnoea, which needs separate evaluation.
Many people try sleeping pills bought on the advice of friends or chemists. While these can help for a few nights, regular use can lead to dependence and poorer-quality sleep. A psychiatrist can help find and treat the underlying cause.
Common signs
- Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep most nights
- Waking up repeatedly or very early and not getting back to sleep
- Feeling tired, irritable or foggy during the day
- Worrying about sleep as bedtime approaches
- Needing sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep
- Daytime sleepiness affecting work, studies or driving
Having some of these signs doesn’t mean you have a condition. A professional assessment helps make sense of them.
When to see a psychiatrist
See a doctor if poor sleep has lasted longer than a month, is affecting your daytime functioning, or if you have been taking sleeping tablets regularly and find it hard to stop.
Sleep problems that come with low mood, excessive worry, unusual energy or racing thoughts should also be assessed, as they may be part of a mood or anxiety condition.
How treatment works at The Peaceful Mind
Dr. Vibha Bhide will look at your sleep pattern, daily routine, health, medicines and emotional well-being. You may be asked to keep a simple sleep diary for one or two weeks.
The foundation of treatment is improving sleep habits and the body clock: a fixed wake-up time, a calming wind-down routine, limiting screens and caffeine, and using the bed only for sleep. Cognitive-behavioural strategies for insomnia are among the most effective long-term treatments.
Where anxiety, depression or another condition is driving the insomnia, treating it usually improves sleep. If medicines are needed, preference is given to options that are not habit-forming, and any existing sleeping-pill use is reduced gradually and safely.
Talk to Dr. Vibha about sleep problems & insomnia
In-clinic in Ravet or online · English, मराठी, हिंदी · Confidential
Questions people ask
Regular, long-term use of many sleeping pills can lead to tolerance and dependence. They should only be used under medical guidance and usually for short periods.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Vibha A. Bhide — {{TODO: confirm review & date}}