Sleep disorders: what keeps you awake and what to do about it
Can’t fall asleep or wake up multiple times a night? Sleep problems often come from more than stress. Medical issues and common medicines can make sleep worse. This page collects practical advice and related articles from Canadian-Tabls so you can spot causes and try fixes that actually help.
What often causes sleep problems
Some sleep issues come from physical conditions. Enlarged prostate (BPH) and urinary incontinence can wake you at night to use the bathroom—see our piece “BPH Symptoms and Everyday Life” and “Understanding Bladder and Urinary Incontinence” for real-life tips on managing night-time bathroom trips. Thyroid problems change energy and sleep patterns; our “Liothyronine T3 Therapy” article explains how thyroid meds and doses can affect rest.
Mood and nerve medicines matter too. Antidepressants and antipsychotics can change sleep quality. Read “Effexor: Real Talk on Dosage, Side Effects, and Life with Venlafaxine” and “6 Alternatives to Duloxetine” to learn which drugs may cause insomnia or daytime drowsiness and what to ask your prescriber.
Medication timing, interactions, and quick fixes
Some simple steps often help without big changes. If you take diuretics like Lasix, try taking them earlier in the day so you’re not up peeing at night. Our “Navigating Online Prescriptions: A Comprehensive Guide to Lasix” covers dosing tips you can discuss with your doctor. If a med is keeping you awake, don’t stop it — instead, check articles about alternatives (for example, “Top 8 Inderal Alternatives” or “Top Alternatives to Symbicort”) and talk to your clinician about switching or changing the time you take it.
Watch for drug-food interactions too. Things like grapefruit can change blood levels of certain drugs and indirectly affect sleep by increasing side effects. See “Grapefruit and Statins: What You Need to Know About Dangerous Interactions” for how food can alter medication effects.
Quick sleep-friendly habits that actually help: keep a consistent sleep schedule, avoid screens an hour before bed, limit large meals and caffeine late in the day, and make the bedroom cool and dark. If bladder issues wake you, cut fluids two hours before bed and try pelvic floor exercises discussed in our incontinence article. If mood or thyroid issues are involved, follow up with your provider rather than self-adjusting meds.
If you’ve tried basic fixes and still struggle, look through our related posts for deeper reading. Articles like “Effexor: Real Talk…”, “Liothyronine T3 Therapy…”, and the BPH and bladder posts give practical next steps and things to ask your clinician. Use the site’s contact page if you need help finding specific guides or have questions about a medication mentioned.
Sleep matters for mood, heart health, and energy. Small changes—adjusting med timing, treating underlying health issues, and improving bedtime habits—often make the biggest difference. Start with the short tips above and follow the linked posts on this page when you need more detail.
