Insomnia - Symptoms of insomnia

The symptoms of insomnia depend on the type of sleeping problem that you have. A lack of sleep can affect your mood and cause tiredness and fatigue during the day.

It's thought that up to a third of people in the UK have symptoms of insomnia at some point in the year, which can include:

• lying awake for a long time at night before falling asleep
• waking up several times in the middle of the night
• waking up early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep
• feeling tired and not refreshed by sleep
• not being able to function properly during the day and finding it difficult to concentrate
• being irritable

How much sleep do I need?

As every individual is different, it's difficult to define what normal sleep is. Factors that influence the amount of sleep you need include your age, lifestyle, diet and environment.

For example, newborn babies can sleep for 16 hours a day, while school-age children need to have an average of 10 hours sleep.

Most healthy adults sleep for an average of seven to nine hours a night. As you get older, it's normal to find sleep more difficult to maintain, although you still need the same amount of sleep.

When to visit your GP

You should consider visiting your GP if a lack of sleep is affecting your daily life and you feel that it's a problem. Fatigue caused by insomnia can sometimes affect your mood and create problems within your personal relationships and work environment.

Read more about simple methods that may help prevent insomnia.