Why Can't I Sleep When I'm Exhausted?

Specialist CBT therapy for anxiety, OCD, depression and more in West London

Exhaustion and sleeplessness are not opposites. Chronic insomnia is usually not a shortage of sleep drive — it is an alertness system that will not switch off. Trying harder to sleep makes it worse because effort is an arousal behaviour. Conditioned arousal means the bedroom itself has become a cue for wakefulness. Evidence-based tools: get up after 20 minutes, breathe out longer than you breathe in, stop doing the arithmetic, aim for rest not sleep. Written by Sanah Younis, BABCP-accredited CBT therapist at The Lyceum Clinic. Free 15-minute consultation at lyceumclinic.co.uk/start.