• Physical symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, cough and nocturia
• Problems with circadian rhythm
• Sleeping environment: noise level, temperature in the room (too hot or too cold) and the comfort level of the bed
• Patient’s intake of stimulating substances, such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine
• Stress or emotional distress, such as anxiety and depression

In case of any symptoms, notify healthcare professionals for follow up as soon as possible.

• Effectively control symptoms to reduce disturbance to sleep
• Make some changes to the sleeping environment, diet or sleeping habits:
  1. Set and follow a regular sleep time and personal schedule
  2. Try to avoid sleeping during the day
  3. Try to avoid consuming caffeine, such as coffee, strong tea or energy drinks, four hours before bed time
  4. For patients who are smokers, avoid smoking before bed time or getting up in the middle of the night for smoking
  5. Only enter the bedroom when you need to sleep
     • Perform other activities, such as watching TV, listening to radio or eating outside of the bedroom
  6. Keep the environment of the bedroom quiet and comfortable (use a more comfortable mattress, pillow or blanket) and maintain an appropriate room temperature
  7. Reduce excess noise and avoid too much light in the room
  8. Relax before bed time
     • Avoid overeating, drinking water, watching exciting TV programmes, or reading exciting books or magazines
     • Try to do something relaxing including breathing exercise; bringing to mind a pleasant memory or scene to bring a sense of relaxation; take a bath; massage gently or play some soft music
  9. Avoid checking the clock to reduce psychological stress and anxiety
  10. If the symptoms of insomnia have caused a significant impact on daily functioning, seek assistance from healthcare professionals as soon as possible. Healthcare professionals will provide suitable treatment and recommendations to manage the symptoms based on the patients’ individual conditions

• Mental Health Information - The Institute of Mental Health, Castle Peak Hospital：
  • 精神健康小錦囊 (Chinese version ONLY)
• Shall We Talk”（Programme）(Department of Health)