Insomnia often has a physiological cause that must be diagnosed and treated by sleep professionals. But many other times it is a problem whose solution involves re-educating our sleep habits. And we all know how to sleep well. Since we were children we know that sleep is necessary and it is something we do conscientiously but, as the years go by, we lose good habits and let ourselves be defeated by all those enemies of sleep. We present you the treatment options for insomnia.
Pharmacological treatment for insomnia
- Drug treatment is not the best treatment for insomnia. But sometimes, depending on the type of insomnia in question, there is no choice but to resort to sleeping pills, especially if the insomnia occurs as a cause or consequence of emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression.
- In any case, it is not at all advisable to decide the medicines that we are going to take to sleep by ourselves and we must take it as an emergency solution and not take it as a treatment that lasts over time. Because sleeping pills present a high risk of dependence, in addition to the fact that the quality of sleep they provide us is neither what we want nor the healthiest.
Behavioral therapies for insomnia
- Cognitive behavioral therapy is presented as one of the most effective treatment options for anxiety and depression. And the same happens in the case of insomnia. This psychotherapy helps us eliminate those automatic thoughts that prevent us from falling asleep and is especially indicated for those cases in which insomnia comes hand in hand with stress or anxiety.
- As soon as we get into bed, we begin to think about all our worries and, as the hours go by, those worries are magnified. So we can’t sleep. Behavioral therapy helps us change our behavior by associating the bed with sleep or, better yet, sleeping well.
Sleep hygiene
- A large number of cases of insomnia are caused by bad habits, night and day. That is why it is essential to regularly maintain what is known as sleep hygiene, which consists of taking a series of steps throughout the day that lead us to go to bed relaxed, calm and wanting to sleep.
- Sleep hygiene involves having controlled and avoiding all those “enemies of sleep” such as poor organization, excess responsibility, exciting drinks or copious meals and spending the day hand in hand with “friends of sleep”, such as a healthy lifestyle and a more realistic and relaxed vision of what worries us.
Alternative therapies for insomnia
- To combat insomnia we can also resort to all those alternative therapies that are based on that necessary balance between body and mind. Aromatherapy, chromo therapy, Bach flowers, reek, music therapy or phototherapy are some of the most requested treatments and with good results to improve the quality of sleep.
- In the same way, practicing yoga, or meditation, or any technique that includes breathing and relaxation exercises can help us find sleep more quickly. And we cannot forget about all those natural remedies or home remedies that have not lost their effectiveness since time immemorial.
