How to cure insomnia
Insomnia is a widely spread condition, effecting a large proportion of the population. Thus, many people ask themselves how to cure insomnia.
Until recently, the most common method for treating insomnia has pharmacological, using sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics. However, several researchers have found that the regular use of these drugs for several weeks may in some cases lead to a loss of effectiveness, disturbance of the quality of sleep with the possibility of psychological dependence (Kales &Kales, 1973; Karacan & Williams, 1971).
Recently, in the constant search on how to cure insomnia New, non-pharmacological ways have been developed over time, showing great promise.
These include relaxation techniques such as progressive relaxation, hypnosis, autogenic training, and biofeedback as well as sets of particular behavioral instructions, such as using the sleep hygiene rules, and the stimulus control method. Recently, sleep restriction therapy shows great promise in effectively treating patients with insomnia. Sleep restriction therapy is a powerful method for those who search how to cure insomnia.
The behavioral methods to cure insomnia are now gaining popularity. Studies have found behavioral therapy effective (helping 70% to 80% of people with chronic insomnia), and several studies have found it more effective than sleeping pills alone.
Behavioral therapy also has the advantage of yielding long-lasting benefits, unlike sleeping pills. We could therefore say that behavioral therapy may produce a “cure” while sleeping pills merely continue to treat the symptoms.
The various relaxation approaches to insomnia are based on the same premise: the reduction of anxiety and physiological arousal. A number of studies have shown that poor sleeper scored much higher on tests that measured anxiety and depression (Haynes et al., 1974;Nicassio & Bootzin, 1974). This view is supported by Monroe (1967) which demonstrated that insomniacs have higher levels of physiological arousal compared to good sleepers. It is therefore not surprising to find that relaxation techniques deployed in anxiety reduction were also extended to treating insomnia.
The most common way of employing relaxation to reduce physiological arousal levels is through the use of progressive relaxation. This technique was developed by Jacobson in 1964. It involves a systematic tensing and relaxing of various muscle groups. Tests have repeatedly shown this technique to be effective in reducing anxiety in general in insomniacs, as well as lowering autonomic arousal (Johnson & Spielberger, 1968; Edelman, 1970) .
A form of relaxation developed by Schultz and Luthe called autogenic training was also found to effectively treat insomnia patients. This technique involves concentration on specific muscle groups to induce feelings of warmth or heaviness. Researchers Nicassio and Bootzin (1974), found autogenic training was to be as effective as progressive relaxation in the treatment of insomnia.
However, while relaxation training is certainly an important and integral part of a behavioral treatment program for those who seek how to cure insomnia, and relaxation training is effective in reducing sleep-onset time and several physiological measures in the insomniacs, It is clearly not enough for most insomniacs. Other behavioral techniques have been therefore developed to supplement relaxation techniques, and help cure insomnia.
Sleep hygiene rules are a well established set of “does and don’ts “that will help you treat and cure insomnia situations. Sleep hygiene rules are a list of behaviors, environmental conditions, and other sleep-related factors that can be adjusted as a stand-alone treatment or component of a behavioral treatment program for patients with insomnia.
Here are the rules:
• Go to bed only when you are sleepy.
• Maintain a regular wake time, even on holiday time and weekends.
• Avoid napping during the daytime. If you do nap, try to do so at the same time every day and for no more than 30 minutes.
• Do not spend excessive amounts of time in bed. Use your bed only for sleep and intimacy.
• Avoid heavy meals before bedtime
• Exercise. Note that exercise should be limited to earlier in the day, at least six hours before bedtime.
• Avoid ingestion of caffeine within 6 hours of bedtime.
• Do not drink alcohol when sleepy. Alcohol tends to cause sleep disruption after the first few hours of sleep. Do not drink alcohol while taking sleeping pills or other medications.
• Avoid the use of nicotine close to bedtime.
Stimulus control, a technique developed by Bootzin in 1972 has shown the highest rates of effectiveness in the treatment of insomnia compared to other behavioral techniques (Zwart & Lisman, 1979; Lawrence & Tokarz, 1976). Although it has several features similar to sleep hygiene, the primary goals of the stimulus control technique are to restore the bed to its function as a sleep-inducing signal and conversely to weaken its link as a cue for activities that are incompatible with sleep and finally to acquire a consistent sleep rhythm.
Stimulus control rules include:
1. Go to bed only if you feel sleepy
2. Avoid activities in the bedroom that keep you awake, other than sex
3. Sleep only in your bedroom
4. Leave the bedroom when awake
5. Return to the bedroom only when sleepy
6. Arise at the same time each morning regardless of the amount of sleep obtained that night
7. Avoid daytime napping
Finally, one of the most effective behavioral treatments of insomnia is called Sleep Restriction Therapy.
Sleep restriction therapy is based on the idea that people with insomnia spend too much time in bed. This is thought to contribute to subsequent nights of wakefulness, sleep fragmentation, and poor quality sleep. Therefore, Sleep restriction therapy aims to reduce the sleeper’s time in bed to be approximately equivalent to his reported sleep time. Sleep restriction therapy is the newest technique available for those who seek how to cure insomnia.
Sleep restriction therapy usually is administered by a healthcare professional, who tailors the therapy to a patient’s individual needs.
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