Tom Brady was political editor for ITV News for 10 years before taking up his current post as the main anchor of News at Ten. The broadcasting veteran may be undaunted by unconventional hours but a couple of years ago, his health took a sudden and dramatic turn for the worse while working the late shift. Tom recalled lying on the floor of the ITV newsroom having what he thought was a heart attack as a result of his struggles with sleep, which forced him to take five months off work.
The journalist recounted the events that led up to the incident at a panel event about insomnia at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
The News at Ten host said his insomnia developed very quickly and left him dependent on sleeping tablets and anti-depressants.
“I was trying to do the News At Ten – when you don’t really know what’s happening and you’ve never had a mental health crisis before, you have no idea what one really is and you never imagined it would happen to you,” he said.
“And here I am in my corner office of the ITV newsroom on the floor, with my feet in the air, having what I think is a heart attack.”
READ MORE: Michael Palin health: Monty Python star’s heart scare – ‘my body isn’t indestructible’
What is insomnia?
“Insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping. It usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits,” explains the NHS.
READ RELATED: British light-heavyweight Callum Johnson on how lockdown rescued his career from spiralling
Telltale signs include:
- Finding it hard to go to sleep
- Waking up several times during the night
- Lying awake at night
- Waking up early and cannot go back to sleep
- Still feeling tired after waking up
- Finding it hard to nap during the day even though you’re tired
- Feeling tired and irritable during the day
- Finding it difficult to concentrate during the day because you’re tired.
As the NHS points out, you can have these symptoms for months, sometimes years.
According to the health body, there are many different causes of insomnia but stress, anxiety or depression are common contributors.
As Bupa explains, doctors only recommend medicines for insomnia (sleeping pills) as a last resort, if you’re unable to function during the day because of insomnia.
“These medicines are often associated with side-effects such as making you feel sleepy the next day,” says the health body.
It adds: “They also become gradually less effective the longer you take them, and you can become dependent on them if you take them for a long time.”
The main types of sleeping tablets include the following.
- Antihistamines, which you can buy over-the-counter from your pharmacy without a prescription. Examples are Nytol, Phenergan and Sominex. These aren’t suitable if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or have certain health conditions. If you’re in any doubt, check with your pharmacist or doctor before taking them.
- Hypnotic medicines, which your GP may prescribe for a limited time if your insomnia is having a really severe effect on your day-to-day life. Examples include benzodiazepines, such as temazepam or loprazolam, and non-benzodiazepine ‘z-drugs’, such as zopiclone, zaleplon or zolpidem.
- Melatonin, which your doctor may prescribe for up to 13 weeks, if you’re over 55 and are having ongoing problems with insomnia. Melatonin is a hormone that your body produces, which helps to control your sleep pattern. It’s worth bearing in mind that it can cause some side-effects like headaches and joint pain.
Source: Daily Express
