Making early interventions

Even though sleep problems are almost as common as experiencing a headache, almost 60% of people do not treat them.¹¹ Many don’t see poor sleep as a problem in itself and either think it will resolve by itself, or that they will be able to ‘catch up’ on sleep later.

But it’s possible for short-term sleep disturbances to progress into a chronic problem that will require referral. It may be easier to treat acute insomnia compared to chronic cases.¹² Early intervention in short-term sleep disturbances aims to prevent this progression¹³ as well as support healthy sleep and avoid some of the negative consequences of chronic insomnia. Interventions aimed at improving sleep also have a wider impact as it has positive implications for many other aspects of a person’s life, including mental health.⁷

The next section will help you to consider the best advice to give those with short-term sleep problems.