Struggling to sleep? Get an app

I WAS delighted to hear about the NHS offering the Sleepio sleep app rather than tablets to help people with insomnia – but this won’t come as news to my patients.

The GPs at my practice have been recommending it and other apps for a while, as have many of my colleagues elsewhere. We know that sleeping tablets often don’t help people with insomnia. In fact they can do more harm than good as they are addictive. The best approach is a combination of sleep therapy with sleep hygiene – making sure the room is dark, not too warm, quiet, and that you don’t watch TV or scroll social media in bed – and this is what an app can offer without long waiting lists.

If you are struggling to sleep , ask your GP to recommend an app or give you details of a local sleep therapy group.