Insomnia & sleep problemsCan’t sleep? Let’s find out why.Lying awake for hours, or waking at 3am and never getting back off? If it has gone on for weeks and all you’ve been told is to “try sleep hygiene”, that is worth thirty minutes and a proper look. Book a sleep appointment Call 07857 76132830-minute sleep appointment from £120 · Face-to-face in Dundee or by video Same & next-day appointments 30-minute appointments A plan, not a leaflet You keep your NHS GP 1Why it keeps going 2Sound familiar? 3Your appointment 4Sleeping tablets 5Free Sleepio 6What happens 7Prices 8FAQs30 minutes with a GPCauses checked properlyWritten sleep planFollow-up with the same GPStart hereWhy insomnia keeps going, and what actually helpsMost short spells of bad sleep settle on their own. When they don’t, the answer is rarely a better pillow.Insomnia usually starts with something: stress, illness, a new baby, shift work, pain or the menopause. But it can carry on long after that has passed. Your body learns to be on alert in bed. You try harder to sleep, lie there longer, start dreading the night, and bed becomes the place you worry.That is why a list of tips rarely fixes long-term insomnia on its own. For insomnia lasting three months or more, NICE recommends cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first treatment, for adults of any age. It is a structured way of resetting how your body and mind approach sleep, and it doesn’t involve tablets.Before any of that, somebody needs to check it really is insomnia. Loud snoring with pauses in breathing, restless legs, low mood, anxiety, pain, a medicine you take, or more alcohol or caffeine than you realise can all be the real story.Check the causeRule out sleep apnoea, restless legs, mood, pain and medicines before calling it insomnia.Treat what keeps it goingThe habits and worry that keep insomnia running, not just the thing that started it.Use what worksPractical techniques taken from CBT-I, plus a proven digital programme you can use at home.Follow it upSleep improves over weeks, not nights. We review your plan with you and adjust it.Back to top ↑Sound familiar?Things people tell us about their sleepIf more than a couple of these sound like you, it’s worth booking a proper look.“I fall asleep fine, then I’m wide awake at 3am.”“I lie there for hours with my mind racing.”“I’m exhausted all day, then wide awake the minute I get into bed.”“I was told to cut out caffeine and put my phone away. I already had.”“My partner says I stop breathing when I snore.”“I’ve been on sleeping tablets for years and I’m worried about it.”“I’ve started dreading going to bed.”“It’s affecting my work, my mood and my driving.”You’re not making a fuss. Months of bad sleep affects everything else, and it deserves more than ten minutes. That is what the thirty minutes is for.Back to top ↑Your sleep appointmentThirty minutes on your sleep, and nothing elseA full sleep history, the causes worth ruling out, and a plan you leave with in writing.What we look atWhy it mattersYour sleep patternWhen you go to bed, how long it takes to drop off, how often you wake, when you get up and how you feel in the day.Other sleep disordersLoud snoring with pauses or gasping (possible sleep apnoea), restless legs, acting out dreams, or falling asleep in the day. These need a different route, sometimes a sleep clinic.Mood, anxiety and stressThey cause insomnia and are made worse by it. Treating one helps the other.Physical causesPain, getting up to pass urine, breathlessness, reflux, the menopause or thyroid problems. Blood tests only where they would tell us something.Medicines, alcohol and caffeineSome prescribed and over-the-counter medicines disturb sleep. Alcohol helps you drop off but breaks up sleep later in the night.Driving and workIf you’re sleepy in the day we’ll talk about driving safely and when the DVLA needs to know. Shift workers get advice that fits their rota.Then we agree a plan togetherPractical, brief techniques drawn from CBT-I that you can start that night:A fixed wake-up time and a “sleep window” that suits youWhat to do when you can’t sleep, instead of lying thereA wind-down routine, and a way to park worries before bedSorting the things that make it worse: naps, screens, clock-watching, caffeineHelp getting started on Sleepio, if it suits youA follow-up in 2 to 4 weeks to review and adjustWe give brief sleep interventions in the appointment. We don’t run a full course of one-to-one CBT-I. If you need that, we’ll point you to Sleepio or another service and help you get there.Back to top ↑Straight answersAbout sleeping tabletsWe don’t prescribe benzodiazepines or “Z-drugs”That includes zopiclone, zolpidem, diazepam and temazepam. We don’t start them, and we don’t continue a supply you already have.National guidance says these medicines should only ever be used for a few days at a time, and never long term. They can lose their effect, and the body can come to depend on them.Already taking them?Please don’t stop suddenly. Stopping abruptly after regular use can cause withdrawal effects, and for some people that can be dangerous. Any change should be planned with the doctor who prescribes them.What we can do is work on your sleep alongside that plan, so you have something other than the tablet to rely on. If you’d like, we’ll write to your GP with what we found.If you’re looking for a private prescription for sleeping tablets, we aren’t the right service. We’d rather tell you now than after you’ve paid.Back to top ↑Help between appointmentsSleepio: free for adults in ScotlandSleepio is a digital CBT-I programme you use on your phone or computer: short weekly sessions, a sleep diary and a plan that adjusts to you. NICE recommends it for people who would otherwise be offered sleep hygiene advice or sleeping pills.Adults aged 18 and over in Scotland can use it free through the NHS, with no referral or prescription needed.Where we come inNICE advises that some people, including those who are pregnant or have other health conditions, should be checked by a doctor before starting. We’ll make sure it’s right for you, help you set it up, and use your follow-up to go through your sleep diary. The first couple of weeks can feel harder before they feel better, and that is where support makes the difference.Back to top ↑The processFrom booking to a better nightFour steps, from booking to follow-up.Book, and keep a few nights of sleep notesBook online or call us for a same or next-day slot. If you can, jot down your sleep for a few nights beforehand. Rough is fine.Your 30-minute sleep appointmentFace-to-face at Dudhope Street, or by video. The full history, causes checked, and the parts you’ve stopped mentioning.Your plan, in writingWhat we found, what to do and why. Yours to keep, or to share with your NHS GP.Follow-up in 2 to 4 weeksWith the same GP where possible. We look at what’s changed and adjust the plan.Back to top ↑What it costsPriced before you commit, not afterWhat you getDetailsPriceSleep appointment30 minutes with a GP: full sleep assessment, causes checked, a written plan and help starting Sleepio.From £120Follow-up appointmentReview of your sleep diary and plan, 2 to 4 weeks later.See price listBlood tests, if neededOnly where they’d tell us something. Quoted to you before anything is taken.See blood testsSleepioDigital CBT-I programme, provided through NHS Scotland.FreeWhat you don’t need: an NHS referral, to leave your own GP, or to be on any medication.Back to top ↑QuestionsThe things people ask before booking Why do I keep waking up at 3am?Waking briefly in the night is normal. It becomes a problem when you’re fully alert and can’t get back to sleep. Common reasons include stress and worry, alcohol earlier in the evening, needing the toilet, pain, the menopause, low mood and sleep apnoea. Once it’s been happening a while, the waking itself can become a habit your body has learned. Finding which applies to you is the point of the appointment. What is the best treatment for insomnia?For insomnia lasting three months or more, NICE recommends CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first treatment, for adults of any age. Sleep hygiene tips on their own aren’t enough for long-term insomnia. Sleeping tablets are only recommended for short periods. Will you prescribe me sleeping tablets?No. We don’t prescribe benzodiazepines or Z-drugs such as zopiclone or zolpidem for sleep, either as a new prescription or to continue an existing one. Our focus is finding the cause and treating insomnia without relying on tablets. I take zopiclone. Can you help me come off it?We can help with your sleep, which is often what makes reducing possible. We don’t prescribe or manage a reducing dose ourselves, so any change should be planned with the doctor who prescribes it. Please don’t stop suddenly. With your permission, we’ll write to your GP with our assessment and plan. Is Sleepio really free in Scotland?Yes. Adults aged 18 and over in Scotland can use Sleepio free through the NHS, without a referral. You don’t need to see us to use it, but we can check it’s right for you and support you through it. How do I know if I have sleep apnoea?Signs include loud snoring, pauses in breathing or gasping that a partner notices, waking unrefreshed, morning headaches and being very sleepy in the day. If it sounds likely, we’ll assess you and help you get to a sleep service for testing. If you drive for a living, tell us on the call. How long until my sleep improves?It depends on the cause, and it is usually a matter of weeks rather than nights. Structured approaches like CBT-I can feel harder at first, which is why we build in a follow-up. Do I have to leave my NHS GP?No. You stay registered with your NHS practice. We can write to them with what we found, if you’d like. Can I be seen by video?Yes. The sleep appointment works well by video, and you can choose face-to-face at our Dundee clinic instead.When not to wait for a private appointmentIf you have fallen asleep at the wheel, or nearly did, please don’t drive and speak to a doctor promptly.If you’re feeling hopeless or having thoughts of harming yourself, call NHS 24 on 111, Samaritans free on 116 123 (24 hours), or 999 in an emergency.Back to top ↑EvidenceWhy we do it this wayOur approach follows the NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary on insomnia. It recommends CBT for insomnia as the first-line treatment for long-term insomnia in adults of any age, and says sleep hygiene advice alone isn’t recommended for chronic insomnia because it works better as part of CBT-I.1The same guidance says hypnotics should not be prescribed routinely, should be used for no longer than two weeks (preferably less than one), and benzodiazepines and Z-drugs should be avoided in long-term insomnia.1NICE recommends Sleepio for treating insomnia in primary care for people who would otherwise be offered sleep hygiene or sleeping pills.2 It is available free to adults in Scotland.3National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summary: Insomnia, Scenario: Managing insomnia (revised June 2026). cks.nice.org.ukNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Sleepio to treat insomnia and insomnia symptoms. Medical technologies guidance MTG70. nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg70Big Health. Sleepio and Daylight on the NHS. bighealth.co.uk/nhsBack to top ↑A doctor with time to listenThirty minutes with a GP to find out what’s keeping you awake, and a plan to do something about it. Same and next-day appointments, from £120. Book a sleep appointment WhatsApp 07857 761328This page is general information about a private service and is not medical advice or a diagnosis. What’s appropriate for you is a clinical decision made with a GP at your appointment. OUR GP is a trading name of SRS Health Group Limited, regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. All doctors hold a licence to practise with the General Medical Council. Meet our team. We see patients from Dundee, Angus, Perthshire and Fife. More questions? See our FAQs.