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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Insomnia
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Advanced or Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
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Learn About Sleep Disorders

Diagnosis and Treatment of Insomnia
How Insomnia is Diagnosed
Speak with your health care professional or a sleep specialist if you have trouble sleeping for a week or more. In addition to an in-person interview, you will most likely be asked to keep a sleep diary for a few nights. Typically the doctor will also require that you fill out a sleep questionnaire. The diary and the questionnaire help to track your sleep patterns and behaviors to allow your physician to get a clear picture of how your sleep is being affected.

If your insomnia is severe, your doctor may recommend a visit to a sleep center where a team of sleep specialists will monitor you while you sleep. A sleep center can also provide you with equipment to monitor your activities (awake and asleep) at home.

Treatments for Insomnia
Insomnia is a serious disorder that can affect all aspects of your life, but it often can be treated – through behavioral modification, medication, sleep aids, or a combination of treatments.

The treatments outlined below are for informational purposes only. It is important to consult with your physician to find the treatment that is best for you.



Symptoms of Insomnia
Causes of Insomnia
Sleep Center Tests
Overnight sleep study (polysomnogram)
 The polysomnogram monitors brain waves, body movements, breathing, and heartbeat during sleep
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) A machine measures the time it takes you to fall asleep.
Actigraphy Your doctor or sleep center can give you an actigraph – which is worn like a wrist watch – to take home. The actigraph records body movements – night and day – for several days.
Behavioral Treatments for Insomnia
TREATMENT
 DETAILS
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) This relaxation technique is practiced by tensing certain muscle groups and then totally relaxing them.
Autogenic training A relaxation method that calls for an individual to repeat a set of visualizations to induce a state of relaxation.
Meditation Concentration on an object of thought or awareness that can calm and relax the body and mind.
Stress management Being aware of and managing the amount of stress in your life can allow you to more easily relax at night when it's time to sleep.
Stimulus control Stimulus Control therapy reassociates the bed and bedroom with sleeping by limiting the amount of time spent in the bedroom for non-sleep activities.
Diet management Reducing the use of stimulants and depressants and avoiding big meals just before bed can help reduce the risk of insomnia episodes.
Acupuncture, acupressure, and massage These alternative treatments can have an extremely calming effect on your nervous system.
Medicinal and Herbal Treatments for Insomnia
TREATMENT
 DETAILS
Benzodiazepines The most commonly-used class of drugs prescribed for insomnia. Includes drugs such as temazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam. These medications can be addictive, particularly after taking them over long periods of time.
Non-benzodiazepine prescription drugs Includes drugs such as Ambien and Lunesta. These drugs have a cleaner side effect profile than benzodiazepines but do appear to cause psychological dependence and physical dependence.
Melatonin A hormone that has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle.
Over-the-counter sleep aids Many of these sleep aids use the antihistamine diphenhydramine. The effectiveness of these aids often decrease over time and next-day sedation is common. However, dependence does not seem to be an issue with this class of drugs.
Herbs Valerian, chamomile, lavender, hops, and passion-flower are some of the more common herbs used to aid sleep.
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