Why don't I get a good night's sleep?

Your sleep quality and quantity may be in need of further examination with a sleep diary to document your sleep pattern and then an evaluation with a sleep specialist in a clinic. If your history suggests a sleep disordered breathing, Restless Legs or possibly a primary insomnia disorder then a specific therapy could be prescribed.

If you set aside ample opportunity to sleep, and find that you still cannot sleep or get good quality sleep, you may have an underlying sleep disorder. Insomnia affects about 10% of the adult population and is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or poor quality ("nonrestorative") sleep. It often impairs daytime functioning. Other sleep disorders also can interfere with sleep quantity or quality. If you believe that you have a sleep disorder you should speak with your doctor or a board certified sleep specialist. Safe and effective treatments are available.

Grogginess or "difficult getting going in the morning" is a sign of sleep apnea. When you are not reaching the deepest level of sleep which is REM, then, you will not feel refreshed in the morning.

There are a thousand possibilities why someone does not get a good night's sleep. Just falling asleep and staying asleep is not always the issue but obviously the first step. If you sleep several hours but don't feel rested then you are either experiencing fragmentation of your sleep with frequent arousals of the brain (not awakenings) or not achieving stages of restorative sleep. Causes for arousals include such conditions as sleep disordered breathing (sleep apnea) and leg movements. Causes for non restorative sleep include issues such as medication effect or the arousals with frequent shifts from one stage of sleep to another. You should see a sleep specialist and may benefit from medication or behavioral therapy.