Trouble sleeping? When it is time to talk to your provider

School's back in session, the days are busier, and for many families in Portland, Corpus Christi, and across the Coastal Bend, bedtime keeps creeping later. Everyone has a rough night now and then. But when poor sleep becomes the norm, it can quietly wear down your health.

How much sleep do you need?

It depends on your age. General guidance from the CDC and sleep experts:

• Adults: 7 or more hours a night
• Teens 13 to 18: 8 to 10 hours
• Age 12: 9 to 12 hours

Quality counts as much as quantity. If you wake up tired most days even after enough time in bed, that's worth a closer look.

What keeps people up

Insomnia means trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early and not drifting back off. It usually has more than one cause:

• Stress and anxiety. Worries about work, school, money, or family can keep your mind racing at night.
• Low mood. Depression often shows up as sleeping too little, or too much.
• Caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine lingers for hours, and alcohol tends to break up sleep later in the night.
• Screens. Late-night phones and gaming keep the brain alert, especially in teens.
• Pain. Arthritis, back pain, and other aches make it hard to get comfortable.
• Shift work. Night and rotating shifts throw off your body clock.
• Medicines. Some prescriptions and over-the-counter products, including certain decongestants, can make sleep harder. Don't stop a prescription on your own. Ask your provider first.

Habits that help

Small, steady changes often make a real difference:

• Wake up at the same time every day, weekends included
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. A fan or air conditioning helps on warm September nights
• Stop caffeine by early afternoon
• Put screens away 30 to 60 minutes before bed
• Get morning sunlight and stay active during the day
• Save your bed for sleep. If you've been lying awake a long time, get up, do something calm in dim light, and go back when you're sleepy
• Skip long naps late in the day

Could it be sleep apnea?

With sleep apnea, your breathing stops and restarts over and over while you sleep. It's common, often missed, and more likely with extra weight. Watch for:

• Loud, regular snoring
• Gasping, choking, or pauses in breathing that a partner notices
• Waking up with a headache or dry mouth
• Feeling very sleepy during the day, even after a full night in bed
• Trouble focusing, or feeling irritable

We offer sleep apnea screening. If yours points to sleep apnea, your provider will walk you through next steps, which often include a sleep study to confirm it.

How sleep affects the rest of your health

Sleep does more than restore your energy. Over time, too little of it is linked to higher blood pressure, higher blood sugar and a greater risk of type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and more trouble with mood, anxiety, and depression. Untreated sleep apnea in particular can push blood pressure up and make it harder to control. That's why our high blood pressure care looks at sleep as part of the plan.

When to get help right away

Drowsy driving is dangerous. If you nod off, drift out of your lane, or can't remember the last few miles, pull over somewhere safe. Don't drive that tired, and talk with your provider soon.

If poor sleep comes with thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Getting back to restful nights

If trouble sleeping has lasted more than a few weeks, is affecting your mood, school, or work, or someone's noticed loud snoring or pauses in your breathing, it's time to come in. We care for adults and teens 12 and up and look at the whole picture, including stress, mood, medicines, and other health conditions. Depending on what's going on, treatment may include help with sleep habits, care for anxiety or depression, a referral for therapy focused on insomnia, or non-habit-forming sleep medicines when they make sense.

We're open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM, at 125 Northshore Blvd in Portland. We serve Portland, Corpus Christi, and surrounding areas. Walk in during clinic hours or call (361) 208-6701 first. Same-day visits are often available. Learn more about our mental health and sleep care, see our FAQ, or become a patient.