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I Cannot Sleep: Causes, Relief, and When to Get Help

Answered 14 September 2026 at 1:24 am PKT

If you cannot sleep, this page explains common causes, ways to settle your mind, and when insomnia needs medical help. It also covers safe next steps for finding sleep treatment in Pakistan.

I cannot sleep

I’m sorry — lying awake when your body needs rest is really hard. Do one thing now: lower the screen brightness, stop checking the time, and breathe out more slowly than you breathe in for a few minutes. If you’re still awake after about 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet in dim light until you feel sleepy again; don’t lie there fighting sleep.

If thoughts are keeping you awake, write them on paper with one small thing you can do tomorrow, then leave the list. Also avoid caffeine later in the day and try not to nap for long. The aim tonight is to rest quietly, not to punish yourself for not sleeping.

What has been keeping you awake — worries, noise, your phone, or something else? How long has this been going on? You can carry on with us here in chat, and we’ll talk it through with you.

Names and cities shown here are examples. Every question is published anonymously — we never ask for, store or show the name, city or contact details of the person who wrote it.

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Answered by the Depression.pk team
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