Chronic Insomnia Disorder

Chronic insomnia Disorder is a particularly complicated condition in which the patient has difficulty in sleeping or getting refreshing sleep that usually lasts for more than a month. It results from a variety of underlying causes and involves both physical and mental. Depression is a known major cause of chronic insomnia. Other causes will include diseases like heart problems, arthritis, respiratory diseases (asthma for example), kidney problems, Parkinson’s Disease, sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, and several other conditions. Exposure to serious mental and emotional stress and excessive use of stimulants like caffeine such as coffee and tea are responsible for causing chronic insomnia. However there are many ways of treating Chronia Insomnia Disorder.

Methods of Treatment

The first step in treating Chronic Insomnia Disorder would be in diagnosing and eliminating the underlying medical/psychological disorders. Next effective strategy would be removing behaviors that are responsible for creating insomnia.

Taking Sleeping Pills

Are sleeping pills the answer to insomnia? Normally no. They actually make situations worse because of side effects in the long term. This is one of the most common treatment for Chronic Insomnia and one of the worst.

Using Behavioral Techniques

There are several different behavioral techniques that are employed to treat chronic insomnia. These include techniques such as relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, using bright light, and reconditioning.

Indulge in Relaxation Therapy

Relaxation therapy acts by reducing anxiety and body tension that contributes to the symptom of insomnia. This when accompanied by mental relaxation promotes restful sleep. However, effective relaxation therapy requires time and effort.

Consider Sleep Restriction

Sleep restriction is used on the approach of reducing sleep time of insomniacs in order that that they can get sufficient sleep in proper time. By reducing the insomniacs natural incline to stay in bed during their easy hours, sufferer will be forced to sleep when the actual sleeping time arrives.

Reconditioning

Reconditioning requires that patients refrain using their bed for activities other than sleep, e.g. reading, playing cards etc. This helps insomniacs get sufficient restoring sleep is to condition their sleep with their bed and a proper time of sleeping. He/she is only allowed to go to bed when the need to sleep is felt. Taking naps in the day is also forbidden. This is one good natural way for treating Chronic Insomnia.

Bright Light

Another treatment for Chronic Insomnia is the bright light. This helps in resetting the patient’s biological clock to sleeping, thus sleep is induced at a proper time in the night and waking up at a desirable time by exposure to bight light. In this way if the patient is exposed to some bright light in the evening, he/she will not sleep too early and not wake up too early in the morning. However, bright light exposure technique must be monitored by a skilled behavior therapist only.

February 20 2007 01:54 am Del.icio.us Digg Furl