The Sona Method

The Science of Getting Better.

Harley Street · London

Sleep & Insomnia
Night Waking & Unrefreshing Sleep.

Being tired does not always make it easier to sleep.

You can be exhausted and still lie awake.

Or fall asleep easily, only to wake at 2am, 3am, or 4am and find yourself completely alert.

Perhaps you sleep for eight hours but wake feeling as though you barely slept at all.

These experiences are often grouped together as "poor sleep".

But they are not necessarily the same problem.

How you are not sleeping can give us clues about why.

SLEEP IS AN OUTCOME

Night-time problems can begin during the day.

Sleep is not an isolated event that begins when your head touches the pillow.

It is influenced by your circadian rhythm, light exposure, activity, stress and arousal, medications, caffeine, alcohol, hormones, metabolic health, pain, breathing, temperature, and what happens throughout the preceding day.

That means repeatedly trying to "fix sleep" at bedtime can miss much of the picture.

Sometimes the night is where the problem appears, not where it begins.

WHAT KIND OF SLEEP PROBLEM?

Not sleeping is not one symptom.

Do you struggle to fall asleep?

Wake repeatedly?

Wake at roughly the same time every night?

Wake too early and cannot return to sleep?

Sleep for long enough but remain unrefreshed?

Feel sleepy throughout the day?

Did your sleep change during perimenopause or menopause, after an illness, during prolonged stress, or alongside another health problem?

These distinctions matter because different sleep patterns can have different contributing factors.

The pattern is part of the investigation.

THE 3AM QUESTION

Why do I keep waking at the same time?

Repeated night-time waking is common, but there is no single explanation for waking at a particular hour.

The useful questions are broader.

What wakes you? Are you hot? Hungry? Alert? Anxious? In pain? Needing the bathroom? Is your heart racing? Can you return to sleep? What did you eat and drink the previous evening? Does the pattern change with stress, your menstrual cycle, illness, medication, or routine?

Rather than assigning one cause to a particular time on the clock, The Sona Method looks at the complete pattern.

The time may be a clue. It is not a diagnosis.

SLEEP & THE REST OF THE BODY

Poor sleep rarely stays in the bedroom.

Sleep influences appetite, blood-sugar regulation, mood, cognition, immune function, pain, energy, and recovery.

And the relationship runs both ways.

Hormonal changes can disrupt sleep. Pain can fragment it. Anxiety can increase arousal. Metabolic and medical problems can affect sleep quality. Sleep disorders can leave someone profoundly tired despite spending enough time in bed.

This is why sleep needs to be understood within the wider health picture.

Sleep affects almost everything. Almost everything can affect sleep.

INVESTIGATION

Before adding another sleep remedy, ask what is keeping you awake.

Assessment considers your sleep pattern, daily routine, light exposure, diet, caffeine and alcohol use, medications, hormonal history, stress, physical symptoms, medical history, and the circumstances surrounding the onset of the problem.

Where symptoms suggest a recognised sleep disorder or another medical condition, appropriate medical investigation matters.

Further investigation through The Sona Method is used where there is a specific clinical question to answer.

The objective is not to sedate the problem. It is to understand it.

WHEN SLEEP HAS BECOME A BATTLE

Trying harder to sleep can become part of the problem.

After months or years of poor sleep, bedtime itself can become loaded with expectation.

You calculate how many hours remain. Watch the clock. Cancel tomorrow in your head. Worry about whether you will function. Try increasingly elaborate routines to make sleep happen.

Good sleep should not require your entire evening to revolve around achieving it.

Where behavioural insomnia is part of the picture, evidence-based approaches such as CBT-I may be appropriate alongside investigation of relevant physical factors.

Sleep is something the body does. Not something you should have to force it to do.

SLEEP & INSOMNIA ON HARLEY STREET, LONDON

When poor sleep deserves a wider look.

Sona works with adults and children with chronic and complex health concerns from her practice on Harley Street in London, as well as with patients internationally.

The Sona Method may be particularly appropriate when sleep problems began alongside other changes in health, occur with fatigue or other unexplained symptoms, or have persisted despite attempts to improve sleep habits.

Presentations may include difficulty falling asleep, repeated night waking, early waking, unrefreshing sleep, and sleep disturbance occurring alongside other health problems. Explore functional medicine in London or weight loss in London.

Discuss Your Case

If poor sleep is affecting your health and you would like to understand what may be contributing to it, get in touch to explore whether The Sona Method is appropriate for you.