Have you ever had problem with falling asleep? How about issue with staying asleep? Did you know that more than half of people have Insomnia at one time or another?

Insomnia is sleep problems and people with insomnia can feel dissatisfied with their sleep.

Sleep is necessary for survival and good health, but why sleep is needed and exactly how it benefits people are not fully understood. One of sleep’s benefits is its restorative effect on people’s ability to function normally during the daytime. Sleep may be restorative because during sleep, the body removes a toxic protein which is a waste product of the brain’s normal activity, from the brain. When this protein accumulates, it interferes with the brain’s functioning.

Individual requirements for sleep vary widely, usually from 6 to 10 hours every day. Most people sleep at night. However, many people must sleep during the day to accommodate work schedules—a situation that can lead to sleep disorders.

Patients with insomnia have impaired daytime function due to difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, or waking up early in the morning without ability to return to sleep.

Treatment of insomnia depends on its causes and severity. If the insomnia is secondary to a disorder, that disease should be treated. In case of Mild to moderate.  insomnia the best and first treatment is Behavioral changes. Not only the changes in behavior can treat the insomnia, but also it is beneficial for your general health.

The first technique to improve your sleep is a sleep schedule to follow. You need regular sleep-wake plan every day. You should go to bed at the same time very night and even if you could not sleep, sleep in your bed with proper sleep hygiene which is dark and silent room with normal temperature. And also get up at the same time every morning. The schedule involves weekends as well.

Another technique is Mind Emptiness exercises such as meditation or Yoga.

If you practice these techniques but without sleep improvement, then you can try non-prescription sleep aids. Melatonin is the popular sleep aid. It is sleep hormone which adjust the body clock for sleep time. It is over the counter item and help you in case of insomnia or Jet lags due to overseas flight.

Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) is the most effective and safest treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia includes regular, often weekly, visits to a clinician, who will give you a series of sleep assessments, ask you to complete a sleep diary and work with you in sessions to help you change the way you sleep.

By Dr. Fatemeh Aghanasiri, M.D. (MCC) – Medicentres, Downtown