EastEnders actress Michelle Collins has asked her fans for advice after being diagnosed with chronic insomnia. The 64-year-old, who plays Cindy Beale in the BBC soap, shared the news on Instagram following an NHS sleep survey.
Sleep test results
Collins said she had been waiting a long time for the results of her sleep test, which was carried out through the NHS with the Royal Free Hospital. She explained that she has no problem getting to sleep but wakes up at 'two or three in the morning' and cannot drift off again.
'I'm so fed up with taking pills; anything to get me back to sleep temporarily, and then I feel terrible the next day,' she said. During the test, she wore a monitoring device on her finger for two days, with a 'pebble' on her chest and a ring on her finger to monitor her sleep.
Diagnosis and reaction
When the results came back, Collins learned the truth behind her sleepless nights. 'I'm an insomniac,' she exclaimed. 'I'm a chronic insomniac!' She added: 'And that is it – I have no respiratory issues. Nothing to do with my heart, nothing at all. I'm just an insomniac, and there's nothing really they can do.'
According to the NHS, symptoms of insomnia include finding it hard to go to sleep, waking up several times during the night, lying awake at night, waking up early and not being able to go back to sleep, still feeling tired after waking up, finding it hard to nap during the day, feeling tired and irritable during the day, and finding it difficult to concentrate. Insomnia can occur in short bursts during periods of stress or anxiety, but insomnia lasting three months or longer is classified as long-term insomnia.
Possible causes and treatment
Collins said doctors had suggested her sleep problems may be related to the menopause, recommending mindfulness and therapy as potential treatment. She asked her 180,000 followers: 'Is anyone else in my situation? How do you deal with it? I mean, it's really hard, isn't it? It's so, so hard.' She added: 'I'm back to square one, really. It's learning to live with it, really. Any ideas out there? Who else is suffering from the same? Is it mostly a female thing? I don't know. Tell me.'
In the caption, Collins noted that she was already using hormone replacement therapy and told fans not to suggest she stop taking it. EastEnders co-star Harriet Thorpe, who plays Elaine Peacock, commented a string of heart emojis. The NHS says insomnia can be treated with sleeping aids containing valerian, lavender or antihistamines, though these can help improve sleep for only one to two weeks. In some cases, patients may be referred to a sleep clinic if other disorders, such as apnoea, are suspected. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is also suggested to help change thoughts and behaviours that prevent sleep.
