A gentle sleep check-in

What feels closest right now?

Choose one box for a few relevant tips. You can open more than one. This is not a diagnostic test, and nothing is recorded or saved.

What might be affecting sleep?

Open a domain for relevant conditions, possible difficulties and places to find out more.

Look for a sleep condition too

A sleep problem deserves assessment in its own right. It should not automatically be attributed to anxiety, autism or chronic illness.

• Insomnia: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early, with effects during the day.
• Obstructive sleep apnoea: snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing or waking choking can warrant assessment. Daytime sleepiness and unrefreshing sleep may also occur.
• Restless legs syndrome: an urge to move the legs with uncomfortable sensations, typically worse at rest and in the evening.
• Body-clock differences: a consistently later sleep pattern may need a different approach from difficulty sleeping at any time.

ME/CFS: sleep advice needs to fit the person

Unrefreshing sleep can be part of ME/CFS even when someone has spent enough time asleep. Sleep support may help, but improving sleep is not a cure for ME/CFS.

NICE recommends personalised advice, balancing daytime rest with night-time sleep and making changes gradually. Do not automatically remove needed naps or rest, or increase activity to make yourself tired. If sleep remains difficult, consider assessment for a separate sleep disorder.

CBT for insomnia is a treatment for insomnia; it does not imply that ME/CFS is caused by thoughts. Ask for sleep treatment to be adapted to your health, energy limits and safety.

One manageable place to start

• Notice: Is the main difficulty falling asleep, waking, discomfort or waking unrefreshed?
• Support: Choose one adjustment—comfortable bedding, less disruptive input, or help with your evening tasks.
• Review: If symptoms persist, share a short sleep note with your GP. Detailed tracking is optional.

Medicines, caffeine, alcohol, menopause symptoms, reflux and bladder symptoms can also affect sleep. Ask your clinician or pharmacist about medicines and supplements; do not change prescribed treatment on your own.

Medication & supplements

Sleep treatments should match the difficulty and your health needs. A medicine review can be useful when symptoms start after a new medicine or a change in dose or timing.

• Prescribed sleep medicines: may be appropriate for some people. Ask about expected benefit, next-day drowsiness, falls, dependence where relevant, and the review or stopping plan. Do not stop regular sedatives abruptly without advice.
• Melatonin: may help selected sleep or body-clock problems. Timing and formulation matter; it is not a universal solution. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about suitability, interactions and side effects.
• Sedating antihistamines: are not a routine long-term treatment for insomnia. Drowsiness is not the same as restorative sleep, and these products can cause unwanted effects or interactions.
• Magnesium, herbal products and other sleep supplements: evidence varies and does not justify recommending a product to everyone. Natural does not mean risk-free; check ingredients and interactions before use.
• Treating a deficiency: is different from taking supplements as a sleep aid. Ask whether testing or treatment is appropriate rather than starting iron or high-dose supplements on your own.

Related ALPIMS resources