Dr Alanna Hare

  For the past 12 months, my 14 year old daughter hasn't been able to get to sleep before 5am. If left alone, she then sleeps until midday. This is particularly rare however, as she has to get to school by 9am each weekday morning. My research suggests that she may have delayed sleep phase disorder. Do you think this is a possibility? I have desperately tried to get appointments at my local hospital via my GP, but so far, they have refused her an appointment, suggesting instead that she is treated in the local community. Even then however, our…

When you're unable to sleep, the natural response is to do whatever you can to immediately fix it. We are conditioned to respond to problems like not sleeping, with action and “doing” something. Cutting down on caffeine and screen time, putting up blackout blinds, buying earplugs and consuming herbal teas before bed, all seem like proactive and sensible ways to improve your sleep when insomnia strikes. But paradoxically, in the case of sleep, this effortful struggle to control what is not in fact under your control, can end up being the very reason why sleep continues to be elusive. Persistent…

For most of us, sleep problems are short-lived and, whilst frustrating and exhausting when they occur, can often quickly be put right by careful attention to our sleep environment, relaxation and winding down, and a regular sleep/wake schedule. However, for a proportion of us, difficulties with sleep endure despite this and for some, concerns about possible underlying sleep pathology such as sleep apnoea, restless legs or unusual behaviours in sleep such as nightmares or sleep walking (parasomnias), mean that a specialist sleep assessment is required. But what happens in the sleep clinic? Whether you are referred by your GP, or…

Menopause and peri-menopause are times of enormous physical, hormonal and psychological change for women. Sleep problems are a common feature of peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause, and as many as 60% of women report troublesome sleep during this stage of their lives. The most common causes of menopausal sleep disturbance are hot flushes, insomnia, snoring and sleep apnoea. Hot Flushes Hot flushes commonly include a feeling of intense heat, usually beginning around the face and spreading to the chest, with sweating and a fast heart rate. They usually last a few minutes to half an hour and affect 75-85% of women…

Darkness is as essential to good quality sleep as light is for wakefulness and alertness in the daytime. Levels of melatonin, the body’s natural sleep hormone, rise as light levels fall during the early evening, signalling to the body and brain that it is time to sleep. Excess light levels during the evening and at night time disturb this natural rhythm, delaying the onset of sleep, and disturbing sleep during the night. The Great British Sleep Survey found that 19% of UK adults reported being disturbed by light levels before or during sleep. Eye masks, which are designed to block…

I love a new “wonder” cream just as much as the next woman, and as I’ve got older, I confess I have spent reasonable amount of my time, and a good deal of financial outlay, on products designed to bring back the elusive “glow” I had in my twenties. But, after extensive research, I want to share a skin secret with you, if you want to look healthier and younger, get more sleep. You may be aware that our internal “body clock” is located deep in the brain, and helps to regulate our sleep/wake cycle, known as the circadian rhythm.…

Pregnancy affects a woman’s body in so many incredible ways. Often, these physiological changes can lead to the development of sleep disturbances, or exacerbates pre-existing sleep conditions. Fatigue and interrupted sleep are amongst the most frequent and persistent complaints reported by pregnant women; more than 80% experience insomnia symptoms, and more than 75% complain of disturbed sleep and an urge to nap during the day, with the highest prevalence of disturbances occurring in the third trimester. The principles of good sleep during pregnancy encompass all the tricks of ensuring good sleep outside of pregnancy: switch off electronic devices, have some…

During pregnancy women experience so many physical changes in their bodies. Not only is there a little baby growing inside you, but such physical changes can lead to the development of sleep disturbances, or exacerbate pre-existing sleep conditions. Fatigue and the presence of sleep disturbances are amongst the more frequent and persistent complaints reported by pregnant women; more than 80% experience insomnia symptoms at some point during pregnancy, and more than 75% complain of disturbed sleep and a great desire to nap during the day, with the highest prevalence of disturbances occurring in the third trimester. The principles of good…