By Rebecca Ruiz
There's no
one-size-fits-all approach for sleep problems, but some treatments
are more reliable than others.
A survey conducted by the
Pew Research Center and released last week found that one-quarter
of Americans had trouble sleeping and that a third napped
throughout the day.
In Depth: Eight Things Keeping You Awake At
Night
It's no wonder that the sleep-aid market, which includes
over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol PM, herbal supplements, devices
like sound machines, ear plugs and even aromatherapy candles, is
estimated by the research firm Packaged Facts to be worth at least
$20 billion.
The diverse choices may be
comforting, but they often distract from proven treatments like
cognitive behavioral therapy and prescription medication. They also
ignore the fact that researchers know little about how the brain
controls sleep, and therefore, how to best treat each patient.
"Theoretically, there
could be a magic bullet," says Dr. Lisa Shives, a sleep doctor
in Evanston, Ill., and a spokeswoman for the American Academy of
Sleep Medicine. "But there are different parts of the brain
involved ... and it's not something we know how to map out
yet."
What Works
Shives frequently
treats patients with prescription sedatives or hypnotics, but urges
them to consider and adopt lifestyle changes in a process known as
cognitive behavioral therapy. Both treatments have been tested in
clinical trials and found to be comparable; CBT, which is therapy
that incorporates stress-prevention and relaxation techniques, has
performed as well as or better than prescription medication in
alleviating chronic sleep conditions such as insomnia.
Many products marketed as
sleep aids, on the other hand, offer the experience of relaxation
or rejuvenation. Johnson &
Johnson's "Melt Away Stress" night
cream promises to "calm and relax [the] senses." The
company Dream Essentials sells light-blocking eye masks made of
taffeta for as much as $25. Such products may help establish a
nighttime ritual, but do little to address basic and common-sense
lifestyle choices at the heart of sleeplessness.
She also tries to break
common bad habits like watching television in bed, lying in bed
anxiously trying to sleep and using alcohol as a sedative. Finally,
she asks that patients learn a relaxation technique that helps
"ratchet them down during the day."
New Approaches
That's what
Dr. Ramadevi Gourineni is trying to achieve by introducing her
patients to a form of meditative yoga known as Kriya, which
involves controlled breathing and visualization.
Gourineni, director of the
insomnia program at Northwestern University's Sleep Disorders
Center, recently conducted a small study with 11 patients who
suffer from chronic insomnia. For two months, all patients were
given tips on how to get a good night's sleep, including
directives to avoid caffeine, keep a regular sleep schedule and
quit smoking. One group of patients practiced Kriya yoga 10 to 15
minutes twice a day.
In June, she presented the
preliminary findings of the study--which was funded by the
university's General and Clinical Research Center and the
Woman's Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital--at the annual
American Academy of Sleep Medicine meeting. So far, those
practicing yoga experienced improved sleep.
Gourineni is hopeful that
further research on yoga and meditation will lead to evidence-based
recommendations for its use with sleep-disordered patients.
The data are uploaded onto the company's
Web site, where an interface offers tips on how to get better
sleep. But the "sleep fitness" advice draws on the
simple, common-sense principles like regular exercise, forbidding
pets and children to sleep in the bed, and establishing a
consistent sleep schedule.
Dr. Michael Breus, a
clinical psychologist and member of Zeo's scientific advisory
board, admits the company is still working on how Zeo users can
measure success. (Breus has also advised Bath & Body Works on
its line of sleep products.)
It's challenging, he
says, because "there's no sleep program for
everyone."
And that's one of the
few ideas all sleep doctors can agree on.
In Depth: Eight Things Keeping You Awake At
Night
More From Forbes.com
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Unhealthy Habits You Need To
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Searching For The Right Sleep Solution
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Comments 1-2 of 2
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Posted by Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:36am PDT
Report AbuseLos problemas cotidianos nos "desvelan", y creo que la presion y el ritmo vertiginoso que vivimos mundialmente , nos va' a tener mas tiempo
"conectados a internet", a no ser claro que tomemos algun inductor de
sueño natural...
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Posted by Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:50am PDT
Report Abusemonina,,si yo estuviera a par de ti,,dormiamos muy rico los dos
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