Improving Sleep: A Guide to a Good Night's Rest

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• An excerpt from this report

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Better Sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, you’re not alone. Almost everyone occasionally suffers from short-term insomnia. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 60 million Americans a year have insomnia frequently or for extended periods of time. About half of all people over 65 have frequent sleeping problems, and an estimated 40 million Americans have a chronic sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, or narcolepsy. Sleep problems affect virtually every aspect of day-to-day living, including mood, mental alertness, work performance, and energy level. Yet few Americans seek treatment for their sleep problems. This report describes the complex nature of sleep, the latest in sleep research, the factors that can disturb sleep, and, most importantly, what you can do to get the sleep you need for optimal health, safety, and well-being.

Prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publications in consultation with Lawrence Epstein, M.D., Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Medical Direction, Sleep HealthCenters, Brighton, MA. 48 pages. (updated: 2007)

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Here's an Excerpt from this Sleep Disorder Special Health Report

The encouraging news is that if you successfully conquer whatever is preventing you from sleeping soundly — either on your own or with a sleep specialist’s assistance — you have a lot to look forward to. Recent research documents the improvements that can come with treatment:

• People with chronic insomnia who participated in six 50-minute sessions of cognitive behavior- al therapy (CBT) improved their sleep efficiency (the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed) more than people who took a prescription sleeping pill, according to a 2006 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers also showed that people who underwent CBT increased their total time in slow-wave (deep) sleep.
• People with sleep apnea who used CPAP for one year reported quality-of-life improvements (such as better energy, mental health, and social satisfaction) that brought them to the same level as the general population.
• People with narcolepsy treated with modafinil for six weeks reported significant improvements in energy and a significant reduction in daytime fatigue.

Often, people with sleep disorders function without sufficient sleep for so long that they come to accept their constant fatigue as normal and assume they will always feel tired. After a few weeks of healthy sleep, some patients report feeling like a “whole new person,” with newfound energy and an improved outlook on life. In some cases, such people are able to accomplish things they’ve always put off attempting, such as completing college or getting an advanced degree, switching careers, or finding a life partner. So if you’re struggling to get a good night’s rest, there is much cause for optimism. While there’s no guarantee you’ll always get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, with proper treatment you can reasonably expect improvements in both your nighttime sleep and your overall quality of life.

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