Options for overcoming insomnia, from the Harvard Mental Health Letter
Insomnia can take many forms, from trouble falling asleep in the first place to unwelcome awakenings during the night. The February 2011 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter discusses some options to help people with insomnia get a good night’s sleep.
For chronic insomnia, the treatment of choice is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Both the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the National Institutes of Health recommend trying CBT before trying medication, because CBT is just as effective as prescription medication at alleviating chronic insomnia in the short term and may be more effective in the long term. When used to treat insomnia, CBT helps people change negative thoughts and beliefs about sleep into positive ones, so that they don’t keep themselves awake worrying.
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