Insomnia treatment should begin with finding and treating underlying conditions. In the early phase of treatment, sleeping pills or other medications may be prescribed.
Treatments that are noninvasive are usually tried first once different problems are ruled out. Sleeping pills are sometimes kept as a final resort.
Not every drug is addictive. Psychological dependence is a common issue. Long-term use of medication leads to negative side effects. Drugs can become less effective if used too long. Drugs can stop working if used each single night.
Teaching the insomnia good sleep hygiene is the most effective treatment. Good sleep hygiene involves creating an environment that produces reliable restful sleep without drugs.
Good sleep hygiene begins with a careful review of diet and caffeine use. Caffeine intake should be minimized. Heavy foods should not be eaten right before bed. Drinking before bed is discouraged since it can truly make sleep problems worse.
Stressful activity should be eliminated before bedtime. Sleep-inducing activities like reading, meditation, or listening to soothing music will be encouraged throughout the hour before bed. Insomniacs should keep their sleeping area dark, cool, and comfortable. Computers and televisions in the bedroom are not allowed.
Reducing daytime stress is a crucial part of sleep hygiene. Insomnia is often made worse by poor stress management and undiagnosed anxiety. Exercise, meditation, and self-hypnosis, might be taught to assist the insomnia manage stress.
If sleep hygiene doesn't relieve insomnia, the next step is temporary medication combined with cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy is a method that teaches insomniacs to unlearn stressful reactions. Patients learn to react differently to their thoughts and sleep begins to return naturally.
Hypnotherapy is useful for mild insomnia but tends to stop working for chronic cases.
Drugs like zolpidem (Ambien), antidepressants, melatonin, or natural substances such as five-HTP and L-tryptophan might be used to treat insomnia. Up to fifty mg per night of the OTC medication diphenhydramine can also be a safe and effective sleep aid.
Drug therapy can cause 'rebound insomnia' if taken too long. Without realizing it, insomniacs can become dependent on medication to sleep. After the medication is stopped, sleep becomes even more difficult than before it was started.
Drug therapy should not be used for long periods of time. Insomniacs should be careful with OTC medications as well. Good alternatives to drug s include natural foods and herbal supplements. Turkey, warm milk, and Valerian tea all contain non-narcotic sleep-inducing substances.
Magnesium deficiency is sometimes a contributing factor in insomnia. Nuts, dark chocolate, deep green leafy vegetables, and legumes are rich in magnesium and can be good for insomnia.
Alternative issues
Lifestyle changes and stress are common causes of short bouts of insomnia. Insomnia that becomes chronic is more serious. When insomnia becomes chronic, the first step to is rule out underlying physical issues or emotional disorders.
Lack of exercise, stressful work and poor diet are the main causes of chronic anxiety that leads to insomnia. Insomnia can be improved by adding daily exercise to each day, and by learning to manage stress better.
Insomnia can be treated successfully. The cure is often easier than expected. Start with improved diet, daily exercise, and good sleep hygiene. A good place to start out is better sleep hygiene, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. If simple changes don't work, skilled help is available.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective and affordable treatments for insomnia. CBT is not expensive and is limited in duration.
Using medicine to treat insomnia should be last resort. Drug therapy is less effective over the long-term than CBT and lifestyle improvements.
