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SleepUncovered

Sleep problems

Identify the problem first. The fix follows.

Sleep problems get worse when you treat the wrong cause. Each guide below opens with a clinical definition, then ranks likely causes, then ranks what the research shows actually works — with the things that don't work spelled out separately.

Problems

  1. 01

    I can't fall asleep — what's actually happening

    Strong evidence

    Sleep onset insomnia. The most common cause is conditioned arousal — and the most effective fix is not a supplement.

  2. 02

    I wake up in the night — causes and fixes

    Moderate evidence

    Sleep maintenance insomnia: alcohol, age, anxiety, blood sugar, sleep apnoea. Ranked by frequency, treated by mechanism.

  3. 03

    I wake up tired even after 8 hours

    Moderate evidence

    Hours in bed doesn't equal hours asleep. The likely culprits: sleep efficiency, fragmentation, apnoea, or chronotype mismatch.

  4. 04

    I sleep too much and still feel bad

    Hypersomnia has a short list of causes — and most of them are diagnosable. When more sleep is the symptom, not the fix.

  5. 05

    What is insomnia — clinical definition and types

    Strong evidence

    Difficulty falling, staying, or returning to sleep — three or more nights a week, for three months or more, with daytime impact.

  6. 06

    Sleep anxiety — the cycle and how to break it

    Moderate evidence

    Worry about sleep wrecks sleep. The treatment is paradoxical — and well-evidenced.

  7. 07

    Shift work and sleep — how to manage it

    Moderate evidence

    You cannot fully override the circadian system. You can manage around it. Light, timing, and naps — what works for nights, rotations, and on-call.

  8. 08

    Jet lag — what it is and how long it actually lasts

    Strong evidence

    Roughly one day per timezone, but direction matters. Light exposure timing is the most powerful lever — more than melatonin.