Prevention

It helps to have habits that promote healthy sleep:

• Follow a regular sleep schedule - have a routine bedtime and wake up at roughly the same hour each morning

• Sleep in loose, comfortable clothes, in a comfortable bed

• Eliminate any sources of noise or bright lights that prevent or disrupt sleep. If noise from outside your bedroom can’t be eliminated, it might help if you drown out that noise by creating a monotonous noise of your own. Use a fan, a channel with static noise on your radio, or a recording of ocean waves to make a noise that can lull you to sleep.

• Maintain a comfortable temperature in your bedroom

• Cut down on beverages containing caffeine during the day, since the stimulating effects of caffeine can last for many hours

• Avoid heavy meals before bedtime

• Eliminate alcohol, since many people experience wakefulness as the effect of alcohol wears off

• Exercise daily

• If you read before bed, do this in a chair or in another room

• Consider sleeping in a separate bed or separate room if your partner keeps you awake

If you have chronic insomnia because of chronic pain, medical illness or psychiatric problems, seek prompt treatment for your health problem. Don't assume that insomnia is an unavoidable part of your illness.

Treatment

Changes in your bedtime surroundings and habits that can promote sleep are usually the most important way to manage insomnia. Behavioral therapies also may be used to treat some patients with insomnia. These therapies include:

• Relaxation therapy - Special techniques to quiet the mind and relax the muscles

• Sleep restriction - A program that at first permits only a few hours of sleep per night, then gradually increases the nightly sleeping time

• Reconditioning - A program that teaches the patient to associate the bed only with sleeping (and sexual activity) by having the patient go to bed only when sleepy and avoid daytime naps

• If you are found to have a medical problem, a mental health problem, or a sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea) causing your insomnia, then specific treatment is important. Medications are available to treat narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome. Special masks can be used to help patients with sleep apnea breathe better.