Insomnia Treatments

Insomnia is divided into acute (short term) and chronic (long term). Treatment will depend on which category your isomnia falls into.

Acute Insomnia Treatment

Acute insomnia generally improves within weeks. However, even short periods of insomnia may require treatment as individuals who are typically good sleepers may complain of daytime sleepiness after a few sleepless nights. Untreated, this condition may also develop into chronic insomnia.

Improving sleep habits can help with bothe acute and chronic insomnia. (See Self Help section)

Over-the-counter (OTC) sleep medications can help but are not meant for long-term use. They can also interfere with your daytime mental alertness. You may also develop a tolerance for OTC drugs after short-term use, which means that you may rapidly discover that you need a higher dose for the same effect. As with any medication, it is advisable to consult your GP before resorting to these drugs.

Prescription sleep medications include tranquilizers, sedative hypnotics and melatonin receptor agonists. The safety of long-term use of sleeping pills is unknown. Behavioural therapy, together with changes in your sleeping habits and sleep environment, seem to provide better long-term solutions to insomnia.

Chronic Insomnia  Treatment

The treatment of chronic insomnia can involve the following:

• Treatment of an identifiable medical or psychiatric condition

• Behaviour Treatment: Behavioural therapies are the first-line treatment for insomnia. For children, in particular, medications are rarely indicated as the required treatment. Therapy is reported to be especially useful in patients with chronic insomnia of unknown cause, and its beneficial effects are long lasting.

• Sleep Habits: Proper sleep habits have an important role to play and should accompany any behavioural treatment. (See self help section)

• Drug treatment: A variety of sleep medications are used in the management of insomnia. These may, however, become a crutch to lean on rather than offering a cure, since they do not address the root of the problem.