Insomnia and How to Beat it

Up to 40% of UK adults have difficulties with their sleep at any given time, according to The Sleep Charity. For some, it’s a few rough weeks. For others, it’s months or years of waking at 3 am and staring at the ceiling, knowing the alarm will go off in three hours.

Our 2026 UK Sleep Survey of 2,000 UK adults paints a similar picture. Eight in ten of us have at least one bad night every week. Nearly one in five (19%) report a disturbed, broken or bad night every single night. On a typical bad night, the average UK adult spends 1 hour and 27 minutes awake or trying to drift off.

This article walks through what insomnia actually is, what causes it, and what current clinical guidance says about treating it. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If your sleep has been a problem for more than 3 months or is affecting your daily life, please speak to your GP.

You may have insomnia if you regularly:

• Find it hard to fall asleep
• Lie awake for long periods
• Wake up several times in the night
• Wake up early and can’t get back to sleep
• Still feel tired after waking
• Can’t nap during the day even though you’re shattered
• Feel irritable or struggle to concentrate during the day

Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. If you’re consistently getting less and feeling the effects, that’s worth paying attention to.

Sleep researchers often describe insomnia using the 3P model, developed by sleep psychologist Arthur Spielman. It splits the causes into three layers:

• Predisposing factors are the things that make some people more prone to insomnia than others. This can be a tendency towards anxiety or rumination, being a naturally light sleeper, or a family history of sleep problems.
• Precipitating factors are the triggers. A stressful job, a bereavement, becoming a parent, menopause, a cough that breaks your sleep for a fortnight, a noisy neighbour. Most people have at least one bad patch of sleep at some point in their lives.
• Perpetuating factors are the habits we pick up to cope, which end up keeping the problem going. Spending longer in bed to “catch up.” Napping during the day. Drinking more coffee. Checking the clock. Each of these makes the next night harder.

When we asked 2,000 UK adults what was keeping them awake in our 2026 Sleep Survey, the most common answers were:

• Racing thoughts or a busy mind (37%)
• Stress (28%)
• Being too hot (24%)
• Struggling to get comfortable (23%)
• Nerves about something the next day (20%)

Other common contributors include noise, an uncomfortable bed, room temperature, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, jet lag and shift work.

Not all sleep problems are insomnia. A few other conditions can look similar but need different treatment, so it’s worth knowing the warning signs:

• Sleep apnoea causes pauses in breathing during sleep. The classic signs are loud snoring, witnessed gasping or choking, and feeling exhausted during the day, no matter how long you’ve spent in bed.
• Restless legs syndrome causes an uncomfortable urge to move your legs in the evening or at night, often relieved by walking around.
• Circadian rhythm disorders affect when you feel sleepy, rather than whether you can sleep. Common in shift workers and teenagers. You can read more about your body’s internal clock in our guide to circadian rhythms.
• Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety frequently come with sleep problems. Sometimes the sleep difficulty is the most obvious symptom. Mind has good guidance on the relationship between sleep and mental health.

If your sleep problems come with any of these other signs, mention them to your GP. The right diagnosis changes the treatment.

Clinical guidance on long-term insomnia has shifted considerably in the last few years. The current first-line treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, known as CBT-i.

That’s a meaningful change. For decades, a common default response to persistent insomnia was a short course of sleeping pills. Evidence now suggests that CBT-i works better long-term, doesn’t cause dependence, and continues to help after treatment ends.

The treatment ladder, in current NICE guidance, looks roughly like this:

1. Self-help sleep habits and good sleep hygiene.
2. CBT-i, either delivered face-to-face or through a digital programme.
3. Short-term medication, considered only when CBT-i hasn’t worked, isn’t suitable, or isn’t available, and only for a limited time.
4. Newer prescription medications, considered in specific circumstances where CBT-i has been tried, aren’t suitable or available. Current NICE guidance sets out who they may be appropriate for.

CBT-i is a structured talking therapy designed specifically for chronic insomnia. It usually runs over six to eight sessions with a trained therapist, either face-to-face or through a digital programme. The therapy works on the habits, thoughts and behaviours that keep insomnia going.

Many people with long-term insomnia see meaningful improvement after CBT-i, and the benefits often outlast the treatment itself.

Access to face-to-face CBT-i varies widely by region, and waits can run to three months or more. A few digital options have helped close the gap:

• NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT) can be self-referred in England. Some services offer CBT-i specifically.
• Sleepio is a digital CBT-i programme. It’s free without a prescription.
• Sleepstation is a digital CBT-i programme commissioned by some NHS services. You can check eligibility on their website.

Kathryn Pinkham, founder of The Insomnia Clinic and one of the UK’s leading specialists in the area, has summed up the evidence simply: studies show that on average around 70% of people with even very long-term poor sleep get lasting benefit from CBT-i.

For short-term insomnia, the recommended habits align closely with what CBT-i includes:

Do:

• Only go to bed when you’re sleepy.
• Wake up at the same time every day, even at weekends.
• Spend at least an hour winding down before bed (a bath, reading, gentle stretching).
• Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. An eye mask or earplugs can help.
• Exercise regularly during the day.

Don’t:

• Don’t drink alcohol, tea or coffee in the six hours before bed.
• Don’t eat a big meal late at night.
• Don’t exercise within four hours of bedtime.
• Don’t use phones, tablets or laptops right before sleep.
• Don’t nap during the day.
• Don’t lie in after a bad night. Stick to your normal wake time.

The last one is the one most people get wrong. Sleeping in after a rough night feels like a reward, but it tends to make the next night worse by reducing the body’s natural sleep pressure.

An uncomfortable bed is one of the most common causes of insomnia. Almost one in four UK adults (23%) blame physical comfort issues for their bad nights, and 24% blame being too hot, according to our 2026 Sleep Survey.

Here are a few practical things that help:

• Keep your bedroom between 16 and 18°C.
• Use blackout curtains or an eye mask if streetlight or early sunrise is waking you.
• Check your mattress. If it’s no longer supporting you well, or you’re waking up with aches and pains, it might be due for a replacement.
• Consider breathable bedding if overheating wakes you. Natural fibres like cotton and bamboo tend to regulate temperature better than synthetic blends.

Our Sleep Cycle Calculator can help you work out the best time to go to bed.

Book a GP appointment if changing your sleep habits hasn’t helped, you’ve had trouble sleeping for months, or it’s affecting your daily life.

Other useful resources:

• The Sleep Charity runs the National Sleep Helpline on 03303 530 541.
• Mind offers support for sleep problems linked to mental health.
• Samaritans is available on 116 123, 24 hours a day.
• NHS 111 can advise out of hours.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about your sleep, please speak to your GP or call NHS 111. For urgent mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (24 hours).