The '3-3-3 Rule' A Doctor Uses To Tell Bad Sleep From Insomnia
Having the occasional bad night’s sleep isn’t anything to worry about in and of itself, the NHS says.
But if the issue lasts a long time or starts to affect your day-to-day life, it could be worth speaking to a doctor, as this might be down to conditions like insomnia.
Still, those terms can be a little tough to navigate. How long is “a long time”? It feels like everyone complains about feeling tired – how can we tell “normal” fatigue from sleep-disorder-level exhaustion?
Here, doctor and Fellow at the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Dr Sunny Nayee, shared the “3-3-3 rule” he uses to tell bad sleep from a more lasting issue.
What is the “3-3-3 rule”?
“If you experience disrupted sleep at least three nights a week for at least three months, medical practitioners no longer regard it as lifestyle related but in the........





















Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Sabine Sterk
Stefano Lusa
John Nosta
Tarik Cyril Amar
Ellen Ginsberg Simon
Gilles Touboul
Mark Travers Ph.d
Daniel Orenstein