If there are problems sleeping, do-it-yourself is to be avoided. You must seek help from a specialist and comply with the rules of sleep hygiene.
Struggling to fall asleep? Waking up in the middle of the night? Suffering from insomnia is a widespread problem: 30-50% of adults have occasional experience of difficulty resting at night, while 6-13% have a real sleep disorder. Sleepless nights inevitably affect quality of life and negatively affect work, social life and any other daytime activity. In the long term, interrupted sleep can also promote the onset of certain diseases. It is therefore important to deal with the problem in the right way.
Fighting insomnia with good habits
Claudio Mencacci, director of the Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the ASST Fatebenefratelli – Sacco in Milan, explains: “You must always contact a specialist, avoiding do-it-yourself. And first of all you need to follow proper “sleep hygiene”, You must, for example, rest in a room that is not overheated, without sources of noise or strong lights. Better to avoid the alarm clock that projects the time on the ceiling. In the evening you should not drink coffee or tea, for their exciting effect, nor alcohol, “false friends” that actually disturb sleep.
Physical activity is also not indicated in the evening hours. It is best to engage in exercises that promote muscle relaxation and techniques that help relieve mental tension, such as meditation. An incorrect habit to fight is then that of “night eating”, the night snacks.
Mencacci continues: “Insomnia can be caused or favored by certain pathologies and even some drugs can interfere with regular sleep. It is necessary to contact a specialist (psychiatrist, neurologist, expert in sleep medicine) who knows how to take into account all these situations and establish the right therapy».
Drug therapy
“Drugs that reduce sleep latency (i.e. the time taken to fall asleep) and increase their total duration are among the most used medicines in cases of insomnia – explains the expert. The choice, which of course is made by the doctor, varies depending on the type of insomnia and the half-life of the drug, that is, the duration of its effect. For example, those who struggle to fall asleep are generally prescribed drugs with a short half-life (less than 10 hours), for those suffering from early awakenings a drug with a short-medium half-life (up to 30 hours) is chosen.
Recent studies also indicate that good results have been obtained with intermittent therapies, which involve stopping or reducing a drug for a certain period of time.
“On the effectiveness of remedies such as passionflower or valerian – specifies Mencacci – there is still no scientific evidence, but if their intake allows you to sleep well you can take them. In general, however, it is advisable to tell your doctor if you are taking herbal medicines, because these products could interact with drugs».
Who is most exposed to sleepless nights?
The choice of the most suitable medicine for a patient also takes into account other situations. Those suffering from depression, for example, could take a drug that also helps them in this regard.
“Then there is a category particularly at risk: women in the pre-menopausal period. In this period of female life – explains Mencacci – there are alterations in body temperature, a phenomenon responsible for hot flashes, mood and sleep disorders”.
Finally, there are people genetically predisposed to insomnia: the advice of the specialist is also necessary for them.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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