‘SLEEP hygiene’ is the term used to describe good sleep habits. Considerable research has gone into developing a set of guidelines and tips which are designed to enhance good sleeping, and there is much evidence to suggest that these strategies can provide long-term solutions to sleep difficulties.

There are many medications which are used to treat insomnia, but these tend to be only effective in the short-term. Ongoing use of sleeping pills may lead to dependence and interfere with developing good sleep habits free of medication, thereby prolonging sleep difficulties. Talk to your health professional about what is right for you. Good sleep hygiene is recommended as an important part of treating insomnia, either with other strategies such as medication or cognitive therapy or alone.