Help with insomnia

Insomnia is either difficulty getting to sleep and/or difficulty staying asleep.

Some causes of insomnia include:

• pain (physical or emotional)
• anxiety or stress
• poor sleeping environment (e.g. too much noise, extreme temperatures)
• illness (head or chest colds)
• sleep apnea
• stimulating medicine or substances (e.g. caffeine, pseudoephedrine)
• incontinence
• overactive bladder
• gastric reflux
• difficulty breathing (e.g. congestive heart failure, COPD, asthma)

Treatment focuses on correcting the underlying cause.  For example, diuretic therapy and blood pressure control for congestive heart failure patients improves breathing and thus sleep.  Using a CPAP machine for sleep apnea reduces night time apneic spells.

Medicine

• Sedatives like valium or alprazolam (Xanax) help promote relaxation and sleep but increase the risk of morning drowsiness and lethargy and more importantly increase the risk of drug dependency.
• Drugs like zolpidem (Ambien) and zaleplon (Sonata) decrease excitedness and promote sedation by attaching to GABA receptors in the brain.  There is less risk for morning drowsiness and drug dependency and these meds help insomniacs to get to sleep and stay asleep.

Non medicinal measures include:

• comfortable room temperature
• low level noise (e.g. a fan)
• going to bed at the same time each night
• avoiding daytime naps
• avoiding caffeine or exercise several hours before bed
• avoiding TV before or while in bed
• relaxation (prayer and meditation, reading scripture, intimacy with spouse)
• seek wisdom

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding…When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.  Proverbs 3: 13, 24. (NASV)