Are you losing sleep worrying about money?

The recent heatwave in the UK has caused many people to have problems sleeping. But even in more normal weather, around 50% of UK adults struggle to sleep at least once a month, and 20% of UK adults struggle to sleep every single night.

One of the main things that keeps people awake at night is debt. Around half the people who are having problems sleeping are losing sleep worrying about money. The average total debt per person in the UK is £33,410, including debts from mortgage, credit cards, and loans.

So if you are one of the many people losing sleep worrying about money, what can you do?

In this article we take a quick look at:

• What kind of sleep problems you may be having;
• Tips to help you sleep better;
• How to start dealing with your money worries.

What kind of sleep problems you may be having

You know you are not sleeping well, which means you are suffering from insomnia. But did you know there are different kinds of insomnia? It can be helpful to know where your problem lies, as this can help you to tackle it more effectively.

The three most common types of insomnia are:

Sleep onset insomnia

This is when you go to bed but can’t get to sleep for a very long time. By the time it takes you to fall asleep, you have less sleeping time than your body needs, so you will feel tired the next day.

Sleep maintenance insomnia

This can also be described as broken sleep. You may be able to fall asleep quite easily but then wake up at least once during the night and struggle to get back to sleep again. This pattern leaves you feeling sleepy or sluggish the next day.

Early morning awakening insomnia

You may be able to fall asleep naturally, and sleep through most of the night, but you then wake very early and can’t get back to sleep again. This can impair your physical or mental capacity the following day.

Most adults need between 7-9 hours sleep to keep them in good health. So any of the above types of insomnia quickly becomes a health problem if it is happening regularly.

If you know you are not sleeping well, you may find it helpful to use a Fitbit or other device to find out more about your sleeping pattern. There are then various things you can try to help you sleep better.

Ten tips to help you sleep better

• Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. This will help your body’s circadian rhythms to get into a regular routine.
• Don’t nap during the day even if you are tired, as this can affect your sleep patterns at night.
• Get plenty of exercise during the day as this can help you to fall asleep more easily later on.
• Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. Use blackout curtains or blinds to keep out the light or consider an eye mask. Use ear plugs if there is too much noise.
• Ensure that your bed is comfortable, with a decent mattress and pillows, and clean smooth bed linen.
• Don’t eat a big meal late at night.
• Avoid alcohol, tea or coffee for at least 6 hours before going to bed.
• Build a relaxing activity into your bedtime routine, such as a warm bath, gentle stretches, reading, or listening to music or a podcast.
• Avoid digital devices such as tablets or phones for at least an hour before going to bed. The best thing is to have them out of the bedroom completely when you settle down to sleep.
• If there are things on your mind that you are worrying about, make a list of them and promise yourself you will look at them tomorrow. This can help to ease your mind, knowing that they won’t be forgotten.

How to start dealing with your money worries

Our articles are full of tips about how to deal with all kinds of money worries. So, whatever is on your mind, take a browse through to see if there is anything that can help.

You may well find that as soon as you face up to your financial issues, and start making a plan as to how to sort them out, you begin to feel a bit better and your sleep may improve.

Earlier in this article we referred to debt, which is a worry for so many people today. Our recent article Make 2022 the year when you get out of debt contains some really useful advice about tackling debt. For example, it covers:

• The importance of getting a clear picture of your situation;
• How to create a debt repayment plan;
• Learning how to budget;
• Ways to increase your income and reduce your expenditure;
• Where to go for help if you feel overwhelmed.

You can read more about the above here.

We hope that the information in this article helps you to improve your sleep and find ways to deal with any issues that are causing you to lose sleep.

And if you need some money fast to sort out a difficult financial situation, remember that Loans 2 Go offer quick loans which may be able to help.

Do visit us here again soon for more financial and lifestyle tips from Loans 2 Go.