Get a Good Night’s Sleep with Skills, Not Pills

Get a Good Night’s Sleep with Skills, Not Pills
Can’t sleep? Learn the “sleep skills” that will give you the slumber that sleep medication can’t
To beat insomnia, train your body and mind to shift to a sleep state when it’s time for bed
By Jeffrey Rossman, PhD
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA
06-08-09


When I speak to groups of guests at Canyon Ranch about improving their sleep, I usually take a brief survey of those in attendance to learn about the source of their sleep difficulties. A few people report that they’re kept awake by a physical problem, such as chronic pain or nasal allergies. A few by factors in their sleep environment—a snoring spouse, a young child. And over half say it’s by stress and an inability to turn off their minds. Many of the guests report they have used sleeping pills, and a smaller percentage relate they are taking them continuously.

THE DETAILS: I am frequently asked whether it is safe and helpful to take sleeping pills. I tell people that sleeping pills can provide welcome relief from a temporary sleep problem. For instance, if you’re in the hospital recovering from surgery, and pain is making it difficult to sleep, temporary use of a hypnotic sedative can help you get much-needed rest.

However, long-term use of sleeping pills has several drawbacks:

• Sleeping pills sometimes lose their efficacy over time.

• Some sleeping pills can negatively affect sleep architecture, producing more of the lighter Stage 2 sleep, rather than the deeper, more restorative rest characteristic of Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep.

• Some over-the-counter sleeping pills contain antihistamines that block the action of a specific neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which can lead to cognitive impairments.

To read the full article:
http://www.rodale.com/natural-sleep-remedies?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_06_08-_-Top5-_-NA