Home / Having a bad night

Having a bad night

If you can't sleep, you're panicking or it all feels like too much, this page is for you. It's short, and you can come back to it any time.

Numbers checked 25 October 2026

If you're in danger, or you think you might act on thoughts of ending your life, call 999 or go to A&E now. If you call 999 and can't speak, press 55 when asked, so they know it's a real emergency.

Someone to talk to now

  • Samaritans: call 116 123. Free, any time, day or night. In Welsh, call 0808 164 0123.
  • Shout: text SHOUT to 85258 if you'd rather not talk. Free and open 24 hours.
  • NHS 111, England: call 111 and choose the mental health option. Open 24 hours, for any age.
  • NHS 111, Wales: call 111 and press 2 for urgent mental health support. Free and open 24 hours, for any age.
  • NHS 24, Scotland: call 111 for the Mental Health Hub. Free and open 24 hours.
  • Lifeline, Northern Ireland: call 0808 808 8000. Free and open 24 hours.
  • CALM: call 0800 58 58 58, 5pm to midnight every day, if you're having thoughts of suicide. Free and anonymous.
  • Breathing Space, Scotland: call 0800 83 85 87 if you're feeling low or anxious. Monday to Thursday 6pm to 2am, and from Friday 6pm to Monday 6am.

If someone is hurting or frightening you

  • England: National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, 0808 2000 247. Free and open 24 hours, for women.
  • Wales: Live Fear Free, 0808 80 10 800, or text 07860 077333. Open 24 hours, and you can speak Welsh.
  • Scotland: Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline, 0800 027 1234. Open 24 hours.
  • Northern Ireland: Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline, 0808 802 1414. Free and open 24 hours.
  • Men's Advice Line: 0808 801 0327, for men experiencing domestic abuse. Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.

To leave this site quickly, use the Quick exit button or press Escape twice.

Things that help right now

Slow your breathing

This is the NHS breathing exercise for stress. You can do it sitting up or lying in bed.

  1. Let your breath go as deep into your belly as feels comfortable, without forcing it.
  2. Breathe in through your nose, gently, counting from 1 to 5.
  3. Breathe out through your mouth, counting from 1 to 5 again.
  4. Keep going for at least 5 minutes.

Write the worry down for the morning

Put whatever is going round your head on paper or in a note on your phone, along with anything you need to do about it tomorrow. Once it's written down, you don't have to keep holding on to it tonight.

Don't reply to your ex tonight

If a message has upset you, leave it until the morning. Mute the conversation if it helps. A reply written at 2am is rarely the one you'd send after some sleep. If a message threatens you, don't delete it: keep it, and call 999 if you're in danger.

Leave big decisions until daylight

Decisions about the house, money, the children or the relationship can all wait until morning. Nothing has to be settled tonight.

If you've been awake for around 20 minutes, get up

NHS advice is to get up and sit somewhere comfortable, do something quiet such as reading or listening to quiet music, and go back to bed when you feel sleepy. Once you've finished with this page, keep the lights low and put your phone down, because the light from screens can make it harder to fall asleep.

Things to do tomorrow

  • Tell someone you trust. A friend, someone in your family or someone at work. You don't have to explain everything. "I'm having a hard time" is enough to start.
  • Talk to your GP. Tell them how your nights have been and how you're feeling during the day.
  • In England, you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for problems such as low mood, anxiety and panic, without seeing a GP first, if you're registered with a GP and aged 18 or over (16 in some areas). Read about NHS Talking Therapies
  • In Wales, SilverCloud offers free online programmes for anxiety, low mood, stress and sleep problems, without a GP referral. Read about SilverCloud
  • In Scotland, you can refer yourself to Living Life, NHS 24's free telephone service, on 0800 328 9655, weekdays 9am to 9pm, if you're 16 or over and registered with a GP in Scotland.
  • In Northern Ireland, your GP can refer you to talking therapies and other mental health services. Lifeline is there in the meantime, day and night, on 0808 808 8000.

Guides for another day

Dealing with a difficult ex6 min readFinding your confidence again6 min readHow to tell your children6 min readOur communityTalking with other people going through separation

Our community is a place to talk, but it isn't a crisis service. If you need someone now, use the numbers at the top of this page.

Where these details come from

  1. Samaritans, Contact us
  2. Shout, Get help
  3. NHS England, Accessing urgent mental health support (NHS 111 mental health option)
  4. NHS, Where to get urgent help for mental health
  5. Welsh Government, NHS 111 press 2
  6. NHS 24, Support for your mental health
  7. Lifeline
  8. CALM, Suicide prevention helpline
  9. Breathing Space, Need to talk?
  10. GOV.UK, Domestic abuse: how to get help (including pressing 55 on a 999 call)
  11. National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge)
  12. Welsh Government, Contact Live Fear Free
  13. Scotland's Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline
  14. Northern Ireland Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline
  15. Men's Advice Line (Respect)
  16. NHS, Breathing exercises for stress (reviewed 12 June 2026)
  17. NHS Every Mind Matters, How to fall asleep faster and sleep better
  18. NHS, NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression
  19. Hywel Dda University Health Board, SilverCloud online mental health support
  20. NHS 24, Living Life
  21. nidirect, Mental health services and support