SerpApi.Org
Having the occasional bad night’s sleep isn’t anything to worry about in and of itself, the NHS says.
But if the issue lasts a long time or starts to affect your day-to-day life, it could be worth speaking to a doctor, as this might be down to conditions like insomnia.
Still, those terms can be a little tough to navigate. How long is “a long time”? It feels like everyone complains about feeling tired – how can we tell “normal” fatigue from sleep-disorder-level exhaustion?
Here, doctor and Fellow at the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Dr Sunny Nayee, shared the “3-3-3 rule” he uses to tell bad sleep from a more lasting issue.
What is the “3-3-3 rule”?
“If you experience disrupted sleep at least three nights a week for at least three months, medical practitioners no longer regard it as lifestyle related but in the realm of insomnia,” Dr Nayee said.
He encourages those concerned to ask themselves three questions:
- Do you experience poor sleep for a minimum of three nights?
- Have you experienced poor sleep hygiene for at least three months?
- Does poor sleep impact at least three aspects of your day (fatigue, brain fog, changes in mood, lack of concentration).
After all, he stated, insomnia is usually measured by how you feel in the daytime, not what you struggle with at night.
“A common misconception is that people think insomnia is staring at the ceiling and not sleeping at all,” he wrote.
“However, it’s defined by the impact it has throughout the day. If you find that poor sleep hygiene is having an instrumental impact on your mood, concentration and ability to function, then it may be considered a clinical condition.”
What if I think I have insomnia?
Per the NHS, insomnia is not a life sentence: it is often linked to stress, booze, a poor sleeping setup, or rooms that are too hot or cold, and “usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits”.
The health service recommends going to bed at the same time every day, exercising regularly, ensuring your room is dark and quiet, using comfortable bedding, and unwinding for at least an hour before bed, ie by reading a book.
If changing your sleep habits doesn’t work, if your sleep issues have been going on for months, and/or if your insomnia is “affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope,” speak to your GP.
