Sleepless by default: today’s struggle for rest

Although most people are aware they should be getting better sleep, fewer manage to do so. Sleep problems have become so widespread that authorities in several countries have classified insufficient sleep as a health concern, one that quietly affects physical health, mental wellbeing, productivity and long-term disease risk.

Despite this, many people who would like to improve their sleep never seek medical help. Instead, poor sleep has become normalised, often worn as a badge of productivity or accepted as inevitable.

According to sleep disorders specialist Dr Andreas Zachariades, this normalisation is one of the biggest obstacles to better sleep. “Many people normalise poor sleep instead of seeking help from a sleep specialist,” he says.

This tendency to minimise sleep problems is also familiar in general practice. GP and certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician Dr Nicola Ioannou says sleep difficulties are incredibly common among her patients, although they aren’t always raised directly. “Sometimes it’s the main reason for an appointment, but more commonly it comes up alongside other symptoms,” she says. Patients often describe difficulty switching off at night, frequent awakening or waking up too early and ultimately feeling unrefreshed despite spending enough time in bed.

Despite how common poor sleep feels in our daily lives, large scale data paints a striking picture; a 2025 systematic analysis estimated that about 16 per cent of adults worldwide, experience insomnia, with nearly 8 per cent suffering from severe forms of the condition. Other meta-analyses suggest that 36-56 per cent of adults report poor sleep quality globally, with women and older adults being affected the most.

Sleep problems go beyond just the duration, they affect how we function, our mood, cognitive performance and long-term health. Numerous studies link chronic short and fragmented sleep patterns to metabolic and cardiovascular conditions such as obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, adding urgency to why clinicians treat sleep as a core part of health.

Zachariades says poor sleep is usually triggered by everyday habits as opposed to dramatic clinical causes. “Late dinners, evening screen use, and warm nights can also worsen sleep quality,” he explains. These factors are frequently heightened by stress and irregular routines leading to fragmented sleep over time. A lot of patients focus on bedtime itself yet fail to concentrate on the broader rhythm that governs sleep. “People focus too much on bedtime but wake up time is what truly sets the body clock,” he adds. In practice this can lead to repeated awakenings and difficulty turning off mentally.

Ioannou encounters similar stories; she points out that sleep complaints often come up wrapped in with other symptoms. Patients frequently present fatigue, low mood, anxiety or mental fog, and only later describe waking up repeatedly during the night.

This echoes what studies reveal; that sleep problems rarely exist in isolation. Irregular schedules, prolonged screen use, stress and reduced exposure to natural daylight all interfere with circadian rhythm – the internal system that controls sleep and wakefulness. “The biggest contributors I see are excessive screen use in the evening, irregular bed and wake times, and high stress levels with very little time to properly unwind at the end of the day. Caffeine often plays a bigger role than people realise,” Ioannou explains.

Geography and climate also shape how people sleep. In Mediterranean regions, warmer evenings, late mealtimes and socialising after dark can delay bedtimes all while work schedules remain the same. Research indicates that high nighttime temperatures are linked to shorter and more fragmented sleep, especially during the summer months when your body struggles to cool itself for rest. Combined with late dinners and evening screen use, these factors further disrupt circadian rhythm. Experts advise that adapting routines as opposed to fighting climate or culture is often key to protecting sleep quality in warmer regions.

Both doctors emphasise the importance of valuing daytime signals that help regulate sleep. “Morning light exposure and consistent wake-up times are crucial,” Zachariades says. Regular sleep wake patterns, especially stable wake times strengthen internal clocks and improve sleep quality.

When behavioural changes are insufficient, further assessment may be necessary. Insomnia and other sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, are commonly underdiagnosed. Warning signs that may warrant an evaluation include loud snoring, chocking arousals, excessive daytime sleepiness, or persistent difficulty falling asleep despite the opportunity to do so. Ioannou cautions that while sleep medications may be useful in the short term, they are not a substitute for addressing underlying causes.

Improving sleep does not require perfection, but it does require consistency. Both doctors agree that the most effective changes are usually the simplest: keeping a stable wake up time, getting morning daylight, and reducing stimulation in the evening. Caffeine after midday and alcohol in the evening can significantly disrupt sleep later in the night.  

Ultimately, poor sleep should not be dismissed or endured. When tiredness, low mood or mental fog become part of daily life, they are signs worth looking into. As both doctors stress, recognising sleep as foundational and responding to problems early on may be one the most effective investments people can make to their long term health.

SLEEP: SIMPLE HABITS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE Wake up at the same time every day — even after a poor night’s sleepGet morning daylight to help reset your body clockDim lights and reduce screen use in the hour or two before bedAvoid caffeine after midday and limit alcohol in the eveningCreate a short wind-down routine to signal it’s time to restSeek medical advice if poor sleep persists or affects daytime functioning