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What to do...?

      Although medication would seem to be the first choice to treat insomnia, there is a variety of better and effective treatments. In any case, the current sleeping pills are not as addictive as their older counterparts, but are only recommended for short-term use. However, Lunesta has been consisted and approved by FDA for long-term usage. Dooren states that many “sleep experts say it is unlikely patients would be able to learn to sleep on their own if they were to quit taking Lunesta without making behavioral changes” (par 7). Although it requires effort, cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) is one of the most successful treatments. It does require approximately $300 for first check up and $75 afterwards which consist up to six sessions. CBT channels negative thoughts to positive thoughts as a form of therapy to allow patients to fall asleep. For example, instead of thinking about sleep or tomorrow, the patient thinks about how much more sleep they are actually getting. In many cases, sleep deprivation is also used to make the treatment more effective.

• Cognitive Behavioral Treatment: Channeling negative thoughts to positive thoughts
• Sleep Restriction: Make patients go to bed with five or six hours of sleep to confirm the idea of going to bed only when tired
• Relaxation: Do deep breathing, relaxation tapes, or yoga
• Medication: Take sleeping pills such as Lunesta or Ambien
• Change in sleep hygiene and life style: Simplest if not most important step to do