Here are some of the treatment options your doctor or a sleep specialist might recommend if you have insomnia.įor a mild case of insomnia that’s only been a problem for a few days or weeks, doctors will first likely recommend making a few lifestyle changes to promote better sleep. Lifestyle changes, therapies, and other treatments do exist to retrain your mind and body to get the sleep you need to stay not only happy, but healthy, too. What’s important to know is that whether you’ve been having sleep trouble for just a few weeks or if it’s been for as long as you can remember, you can (and should!) get help. ( 2 ) What’s more, those periods of short-term insomnia that last just a few days or a week ( acute insomnia), can turn into longer-term insomnia, which is known as chronic insomnia, meaning that your sleep troubles last beyond the initial stressor. There are many reasons why you might be struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night, ranging from stressful life events, like getting fired from a job, to health issues. Estimates suggest between 1 in 10 and 1 in 3 people suffer from some degree of insomnia, which is having trouble with either falling asleep, staying asleep during the night, or waking up earlier than you intend to in the morning (or a combination of the above).
You feel like you’re cursed, but you’re not alone. SOURCE: bit.ly/2x7XgrN JAMA Internal Medicine, online September 10, 2018.You lie awake at night staring at the ceiling.
“Sleep issues are very common, and many patients don’t think to ask questions about it.” “Most importantly, talk to your doctor about these concerns,” Stewart said. The amount of sleep required by different people varies at different points in life, but the average is six to eight hours per night. Conditions such as stress, anxiety and breathing issues can also affect sleep. Sleep studies include overnight tests to monitor sleep and look for medical conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea. “Once I have a sleep diary in front of me, I can see whether it’s a more serious sleep disorder and whether they need a sleep study.” “I like doing a sleep diary with my patients so we can look at what they’re doing that can impact the way they’re sleeping,” she said.
Side effects can be stronger in older age groups, so these patients should be particularly careful about sleep medicines, especially if mixing with other prescriptions, she added. “Most sleeping medicines should only be used for a limited amount of time, usually a week or two, and can be addictive and lead to bad outcomes when mixed with alcohol or other drugs,” she told Reuters Health by phone.
Chronic insomnia help free#
Stewart is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians, which also provides free information about insomnia. Ada Stewart, a family physician in Columbia, South Carolina who was not involved with the new publication.
“We see insomnia every day in various ages and walks of life, and it can lead us to consider other concerns such as depression, anxiety and medication issues,” said Dr. Also, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and create a dark, quiet environment for sleeping with minimal distractions, which means turning off screens on electronic devices and darkening windows. Instead of staying in bed lying awake, get up and do something relaxing until you’re tired enough to fall asleep, they advise. This includes going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning. Incze and co-authors recommend starting with good sleep hygiene, that is, creating a peaceful environment for sleep.