People need adequate sleep in order to maintain a healthy and productive life. It has been said the people spend about 1/3 of their lifetimes sleeping. That certainly seems like a lot of time but proper sleep is needed for a healthy human body including the vital organs and the brain. The brain really works some magic while a person is asleep. Without sleep the brain begins to lose its ability to function.

While the amount of sleep that a person gets does not seem to be quite as important as the quality of sleep that they get, the two are still completely related. Insomnia has very grave effect over a period of time, both physical and psychological. Impaired mind functioning, accidents, anxiety and depression, stress, heart attacks, and headaches are common consequences of insomnia. Health can deteriorate as the person gets mentally and physically weaker, becomes more irritable, and develops a wakened immune system that can lead to all kinds of illness.

Sleep occurs in a very unique manner. When it is time for sleep, the retina in the eye sends a message to your brain; your brain in turn sends a message to another part of the brain to produce the hormone melatonin, this in turn causes a drop in body temperature and the person begins to feel signs of sleepiness. While this is going on, the brain starts to deactivate three of the brains chemical messengers that are responsible for keeping one alert, histamine, norephinephrine, and serotonin. So it is very important that the brain gets its rest so that it can function properly on a daily basis.

There are various types of insomnia and various causes as well. Insomnia can be broken up into primary and secondary. Primary insomnia means there is absolutely no medical, physical, or emotional reason for the insomnia. Secondary insomnia means there is a reason for the insomnia is it medical, psychological or physical. Generally, secondary insomnia is treated by a physician and primary insomnia is treated with behavioral therapy.

The behavioral therapy often includes things such as sleep hygiene, progressive muscle relaxation, stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, and sleep restriction and scheduling. These have been very successful in treatment centers across the country.

It is imperative that a person get relaxed prior to attempting to go to sleep. Reading a book, watching some TV, or anything relaxing is a great start when attempting to get some sleep but if you lay there and find that you lost all interest in sleeping, get out of bed and do something else until you feel tired again. Laying there, tossing and turning is not going to do anything but make matters worse.

In earlier times many doctors used to prescribe benzodiazepines to their patients to assist with insomnia but over the years it was discovered that these were addictive and had negative residual effects. Although they are still used today, it is very rare in comparison to earlier times. Benzodiazepine receptor agonists came along after that, around the 1990’s. These offered hope to many but were not as promising as had hoped as they too still contained addictive properties.

Today there are many new drugs available and insomnia medication truly has come a long way. Non- benzodiazepines are available and are FDA approved such as Lunesta, Ambien, and Sonata. These have been found to be completely safe and effective in the treatment of insomnia. These are actually very safe to use for up to six months with no side effects or long term effects. However, while the doctor may prescribe this medication for non chronic insomnia, if the insomnia is still a factor after six months, it then becomes chronic and will likely have to be dealt with in a different manner.

There are also many over-the-counter drugs available for insomnia which can be purchased without a prescription. Most of these contain antihistamines to promote sleep. These are not recommended at all, especially for any length of time because they do have significant side effects that include feeling lethargic the next day, impaired psychomotor skills, and even problems driving. Because these drugs contain antihistamines, they also have a tendency to have adverse effects such as dry mouth, dry eyes, and urinary retention. This is why it is so important to check with your doctor before taking any medications that you can purchase without a prescription.

The drugs that are use to treat insomnia are broken down into different categories such as sedative hypnotic medications, benzodiazepine hypnotics, non benzodiazepine hypnotics, over the counter medications, sedating antidepressants, natural or herbal remedies, and a combination approach. The medicinal approach all depends on how complicated the insomnia is.

If it is complex then it may require the combination approach which will include avoiding all caffeine and alcohol entirely, improved eating habits, getting plenty of exercise, and keeping a routine bedtime regimen. Before a solid approach can be taken, it will have to be evaluated not only your nighttime insomnia but also the daytime consequences of the insomnia. Another factor that has to be determined is if the insomnia is the primary problem or the secondary problem which could be the result of some untreated depression or anxiety condition.