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Talk to your physician about
your sleep, and if you have
a problem, contact our
sleep center
at
860.364.4525
.
Help is available.
4
q
Insomnia has
many causes
These include
sudden life
changes, such
as the death of
a loved one or
the loss of a job.
Medical diagnoses
and interpersonal
stress are
other common
precipitants. What started out as
something temporary can become
chronic with the wrong habits.
How it’s treated
Medications may help in the
short term but are best not turned
to automatically, as they rarely
enhance the quality of sleep and
carry the risk of dependence. There
are natural ways to increase and
consolidate restful sleep, including
cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep
hygiene, sleep diaries and stimulus
control. In fact, not only are these
methods natural, they are the most
proven effective ways to get past
insomnia and are recognized as
such by the American Academy of
Sleep Medicine.
WE
all know the effects of poor
sleep: drowsiness, headaches,
irritability, difficulty concentrating
and other daytime issues. It is
estimated that from 15 to 20 percent
of Americans live with chronic
insomnia. Because
not all cases are
the same and
not all remedies
successful, it bears
taking a look at
some common
misconceptions
about insomnia—
and the need for sleep in general.
First, keep in mind that symptoms
such as snoring, irregular breathing
or pauses in breathing, gasping, or
plain old nonrestorative sleep may be
harbingers of obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious
sleep disorder, with deleterious effects
on the heart and brain that can lead
to hypertension, heart attack, stroke,
and neurocognitive and metabolic
disturbances.
Irving S. Smith, DO
Internal Medicine
and SleepMedicine
I N S O M N I A
In search of sleep?
Sharon Hospital Laboratory is
pleased to introduce the
new
Homestick Lab Draw program
for non-homebound patients.
For a nominal fee, you can have
your bloodwork collected in the
comfort of your own home. Please
call
860.364.4267
for details and
to set up an appointment.
Don’t fret the numbers
While it is generally true that
adults need approximately eight
hours of sleep (children and
adolescents need more for proper
brain development), some people
do fine on six and
others need nine or
10. Regardless of how
much you need for
optimal performance,
it is important not to
fixate on a specific
number—this can
lead to anxiety and
actually worsen insomnia.
It is unnecessary and possibly even
counterproductive to force yourself
to sleep if it isn’t happening naturally.
Clock-watching can worsen insomnia,
too, by provoking anxiety and
fostering an association in the mind
between sleep and frustration. Better
to consider leaving the bedroom if
sleep doesn’t come and go to another
room to read something light or listen
to light music until sleep resumes.
Have your
lab draw at
home