December 14th 2024.
For as long as I can remember, getting a good night's sleep has been a struggle for me. Even now, at 2:53AM, I find myself wide awake while my husband peacefully snores beside me. It's almost like a cruel joke - sleep comes easily for him while I struggle to even close my eyes. I feel like crying in frustration. This has been my reality since I was 18 years old, and now at 48, it's been three decades of battling insomnia.
It all started during my A-Levels. The night before my first exam, I couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard I tried. I kept checking the time, which only made things worse. I chalked it up to nerves and relied on adrenaline to get me through. But as the years went on, my insomnia became a constant presence in my life. In 2003, I finally sought help from a healthcare professional. After listening to my struggles, my GP diagnosed me with sleep onset insomnia - the inability to fall asleep even when you're exhausted. He prescribed Zopiclone, a sleeping pill, and some anti-anxiety medication to help with my worries about not being able to sleep. At first, the medication had a positive effect. I felt less anxious and was able to fall asleep and stay asleep for the whole night. But these pills were only meant to be taken temporarily, and my insomnia was far from temporary.
For the next 14 years, I found myself on a constant merry-go-round of different medications, as I only needed them some of the time. Then in 2017, things took a turn for the worse. After a routine dinner with friends, I found myself unable to sleep once again. I hadn't had too much to drink or eat, so there was no obvious trigger. This marked the start of a year-long ordeal where I would only get a maximum of four hours of sleep a night, if any. I suffered from headaches, brain fog, and lost my appetite. My energy levels plummeted, and I even had to cancel my gym membership because I was too exhausted to go. In a desperate attempt to protect what little sleep I could get, I stopped making any morning or evening plans, effectively isolating myself. It's no surprise that eventually, the invitations stopped coming altogether. In July 2019, I made the difficult decision to quit my job. My insomnia wasn't just affecting my personal life, but my professional life as well. As a senior financial analyst, I was managing a team in a high-pressure role, but the lack of sleep made it increasingly difficult to perform at my best. So I decided it was no longer worth the stress and anxiety, and I left my job.
Some people were shocked by my decision, thinking I was throwing away everything I had worked hard for just because I couldn't sleep well. But for me, it was the right decision. I did feel guilty for a while, putting the financial burden solely on my husband's shoulders, but ultimately, I felt relieved. Since stepping back from the corporate world, I've seen an improvement in my sleep. Spending time with my daughter and volunteering has also brought me some solace. Of course, there are still moments of frustration and anger towards a condition that seemingly has a hold on my life, but I know I'm not alone in this battle.
Recent research by The Sleep Charity revealed that nine out of 10 adults are experiencing sleep problems, with an estimated 14 million people struggling with undiagnosed sleep disorders. As an admin for an Insomnia Support Group on Facebook, I see these numbers reflected every day. More and more members join, sharing their stories of sleepless nights and desperate days. It's clear that the UK is facing a sleep crisis. Poor sleep has been linked to an increased risk of mortality and major health conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease. That's why The Sleep Charity is calling on the government to introduce a national sleep strategy. This strategy would include sleep education and support as a central aspect of public health campaigns, similar to how quitting smoking or reducing alcohol consumption is promoted. It also calls for improved support and treatments for patients with sleep disorders on the NHS, as well as better education for GPs on these conditions.
Unfortunately, the current reality is that accessing the right support and treatments for sleep disorders is a postcode lottery, with some GPs lacking knowledge and understanding of these conditions. This needs to be addressed urgently. Sleep should not be a luxury; it should be a basic human need. Improving the support and treatments available would make a significant difference in the lives and wellbeing of millions of people like myself. This article was originally published in 2024, and I hope that by then, we will have made progress in addressing the sleep crisis in the UK. If you have a story about your struggles with sleep, please reach out and share it with us. Let's continue to raise awareness and push for better support and treatments for those battling sleep disorders.
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