Treatment For Insomnia

Treatment For Insomnia

Treatment for insomnia can range from behavioral modifications to medications that promote sleep. The best way to find the right solution for you is to speak with your physician.

The type of treatment you receive will depend on the severity and cause of your insomnia. For instance, if it has only been an issue for a few days or weeks, doctors are likely to suggest lifestyle changes and behavioral therapy to promote sleep.

Insomnia is typically treated in the primary care setting by reducing stress, changing sleeping patterns and working with your healthcare provider to identify any underlying medical conditions that could be contributing factors or making symptoms worse. These could include depression, anxiety or sleep apnea (snoring).

Prescription sleeping tablets should only be used as a last resort and taken for only a few days or weeks at a time. They don’t address the underlying causes of your insomnia and may lead to serious side effects, including addiction.

Nonprescription medicines, dietary supplements and integrative medicine techniques may be used to treat insomnia; however, their effectiveness and safety have yet to be fully established. Furthermore, these drugs may interact with other medications, making them ineffective or dangerous.

There are various prescription drugs that may treat insomnia, though some of these have side effects or complications when taken long-term. These include benzodiazepines, antidepressants and antiseizure medications.