From time to time, everyone will experience difficulties with getting to sleep at night.

This is not unusual but if you feel you don't get enough quality sleep or wake up tired, you may have a sleep disorder called insomnia.

People with insomnia complain of difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep, waking up too early in the morning or feeling tired after a night's sleep.

Acute (short-term) insomnia is often caused by emotional or physical discomfort.

For example: Life stresses (job loss, death of a loved one, moving), illness, noise, light or extreme temperatures which interfere with sleep and things which alter the normal sleep pattern (jet lag, shift work).

Many people suffer with chronic insomnia, which can be caused by many things and often occurs along with other health problems.

Common causes are depression, chronic stress, and pain or discomfort. Treatment includes first treating any underlying conditions or health problems.

Short-term insomnia may not require treatment but if it affects your functioning during the day, causing problems such as sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability, a simple homeopathic remedy is all that might be needed.

If the inability to get a good night's sleep persists, a qualified homeopath should be consulted.

Common remedies useful for sleeplessness:

Arnica- For insomnia from physical overwork and jet lag.

Aconite - Used for acute insomnia caused by shock, fright, bad news, grief, anxiety and restlessness.

Arsenicum - For when you feel sleepy during the day but anxious at night, restless in bed with bad dreams and nightmares.

Calc-phos - Helps with difficulty waking, waking up before midnight, feeling anxious, irritable, sluggish and restless.

Chamomilla - Antidote to too much coffee. Taken when sleeplessness and restlessness occurs during the first part of the night with frightening dreams.

Cocculus - Useful remedy to re-establish sleep patterns disrupted by shift work or jet lag.

Coffea - Taken when the mind is awake and working and you are unable to relax. You might have vivid dreams.

Ignatia - Aids sleeplessness caused by shock, stress or grief.

Kali-phos - Helps with sleeplessness from mental strain, anxiety, irritability, muscle fatigue and waking with a sinking feeling in the stomach or fright.

Lachesis - For sleep problems during the menopause, dread of sudden awakenings and the sensation of swaying, night sweats and waking anxious and feeling unwell.

Nux-vom - Irritability and sleeplessness from stopping sedatives or from too much mental stress, alcohol or food will respond to Nux-vom.

Sepia - For difficulty falling asleep, waking early, feeling tired, depressed by overwork and mental stress, irritable and sleepy during the day with headaches, nausea and dizziness due to tiredness. Also helps with night sweats.

Elizabeth Whitney is a qualified, registered homeopath and can be contacted at Advanced Homeopathic Centre, 62 Palmeira Avenue, Hove. Call 01273 390938 or email elizabethwhitney@onetel.net.uk