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.
No comments:
Post a Comment