Insomnia Treatment

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Insomnia

A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 58 percent of American adults exhibit symptoms of insomnia at least a couple nights each week. Sleeplessness is something we've likely all experienced at some point in our lives. Whether it was brought on because of stress, caffeine, or a genuine sleep disorder, those hours of tossing and turning, when your mind feels wired and your eyes refuse to get heavy, are so uncomfortable they're hard to forget. Use this guide to find the Web's best sources of information on insomnia.

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What is Insomnia?

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, there are two varieties of insomnia: ... read more »

Causes of Insomnia

What is it that brings on the inability to sleep? According to the American Insomnia Association, ... read more »

Insomnia Treatment

Depending on the severity of the case and the underlying causes, there are a number of ways to treat insomnia. Self-care methods, like exercising more and not drinking excessive amounts of fluids before bed, can work for minor cases of the condition, whereas a more severe case might involve medication. According to the experts at eMedicineHealth, because insomnia is a symptom, not a diagnosis, the remedy will vary based on what's causing your insomnia. Read on to learn more about how insomnia is treated.

Dulcinea's Insight

In this section, the Picks have been divided up so that you can find both doctor-approved, medically reviewed advice on how to treat serious cases of insomnia, and home remedies from other laymen for those with mild, transient cases. When taking any online advice, no matter the source, remember that a conversation with your doctor is the most efficient way for you to figure out how to beat your insomnia. It may be helpful to print out a list of some of the home remedies you see in the sites below and bring it with you the next time you visit your doctor.

Psychology Today has an article entitled, "How to Get Great Sleep" that examines why people suffer from insomnia and what can be done about it.

Dulcinea's Picks

For a treatment overview ...

WebMD 's treatment overview includes information on behavior therapy, medication, and complementary and alternative medicine. All throughout the article you'll find useful links to more WebMD information, like this guide to determining when you should take sleeping pills.

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The National Sleep Foundation 's "Treatment for Insomnia Center" is a useful resource, providing information on cognitive behavioral therapy, a nonmedical treatment approach to insomnia, and hypnotics (medication, not to be confused with hypnosis). There's also a great overview article on treatments.

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For ways to improve your sleep habits ...

The University of Virginia Health System 's "Mens Health" section has a bullet-point rundown of what insomnia is. Scroll down a bit to reach the "Guidelines that may help sleep problems" section, which offers a list of 14 practical steps one can take to get better sleep. Though it's in the men's health section, this guideline is a great resource for anyone looking to improve sleep habits.

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For over-the-counter medications ...

MedicineNet has a guide to insomnia that includes an overview of two popular over-the-counter sleep aids: antihistamines and melatonin. For each, you'll find details on dosing, pregnancy and lactation, children, and drug interactions.

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For self-care sleep tips from users around the Web (not doctor reviewed!) ...

Well.com has a list of 41 ideas for ways to get better sleep. Heed the disclaimer: the person who compiled the list is "not a physician or sleep researcher" and has "collected some folk remedies and methods and provided them here for your convenience."

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Zen-Habits offers just three tips, one being "Waking up early," which contains a link to an article with tips on how to train yourself to wake up earlier.

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Who knew?