Sleep is an essential
part of good health. A good night's sleep can help you feel good, look healthy,
work effectively and think clearly.
But sleep is not
always so easy to come by. If you sometimes have trouble falling asleep or
staying asleep, you're not alone. A 1991 Gallup
study found that more than one-third of all Americans suffer occasional or
chronic insomnia.
People often are
surprised to learn that daytime drowsiness is not an inevitable, harmless
byproduct of modern life, but rather a key sign of a sleep problem that could
be disastrous if not treated.
Recent figures show
that nearly a quarter of the population regularly cannot go to, or remain
asleep, and every year doctors write out more than 14 million prescriptions for
sleeping tablets.
The causes of
sleeplessness are many and varied. 'It can be due to a medical condition, such
as chronic pain from rheumatism or arthritis,' says Professor Jim Horne, who
runs the Sleep Research Laboratory at Loughborough University.
'Or it can be chemical, as a result of drinking tea, coffee or alcohol. Chronic
or long-term insomnia is often associated with depression or anxiety, and
environmental factors certainly contribute.'
And sleepless nights,
staring wild-eyed into the darkness, are worse than bad dreams,
For too many
people--an estimated 9percent of the American population--a good night's sleep
is an elusive goal. The consequences of fatigue from chronic sleeplessness
include accidents in the car and at work, a dramatically increased risk of
major depression, and worsening physical illness.
Immediate relief is
available, in the form of hypnotic agents, for persons who have difficulty in
falling or remaining asleep or who cannot obtain restful, restorative slumber.
However, long-term improvement usually involves behavioral therapy. These
therapeutic approaches must be integrated if the patient's short- and long-term
needs are to be addressed.
