Clinical psychologists at the university’s Sleep Research Laboratory will next month launch the first night-school course in how to sleep using techniques that have scored a high success rate.
Insomnia is a growing issue in the UK, where about 1m people regularly take sleeping pills. Young professionals are prime sufferers, with long working hours and irregular sleep patterns acting as triggers.
“Nowadays, we see a lot of people with a stressed lifestyle,” said Professor Colin Espie, author of Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems and director of the university’s sleep laboratory.
“Epidemiological studies show that 8%-12% of the adult population have a diagnosis of a sleep disorder, and 20%-25% have a complaint about their sleep.”
An insomniac, according to Marina Malaffo, who runs the course, is someone who takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep or is awake for more than 30 minutes during the night at least three or four times a week. If it lasts more than six months, it is deemed chronic.
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Women are more prone to insomnia than men, as are those who suffer from anxiety.
Techniques delivered at the course will include getting out of bed if you take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep or are awake for more than 30 minutes during the night. Lie-ins are banned.
“We say, ‘Don’t do anything in bed apart from sleep and sex.’ People who don’t sleep well tend to do a lot of other things in bed. They eat, watch television or phone. It’s important to re-establish the link between bed and sleep,” says Malaffo.
However, a lack of awareness among health professionals means the signs of insomnia often go undetected. The need for a dedicated service is acute, says Espie, who has received 150 referrals from GPs in the past few months — despite the fact that his laboratory is for research only.
“It’s well-nigh impossible to get even a basic diagnosis of a sleep disorder in Scotland,” says Espie, who is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “We’re miles behind the USA in this. It’s frustrating when you know you’ve got cost-effective ways you can help people.”