It has long been believed that when someone is depressed and can't sleep, you had to treat the depression first. New research shows that the “depression causes insomnia” belief is only partly true. Much the time it works the other way around: insomnia causes depression.
This is very good news. In a recent study reported in the New York Times, 87 people who got short-term help for insomnia also recovered from depression. Depression can be tricky to treat, but insomnia is usually straightforward.
Below are 5 other common beliefs about insomnia, along with some suggestions to help you sleep well during he holidays.
The 5 Myths
1. Waking up in the middle of the night is a problem.
False. Worrying about waking up in the middle of the night is a problem. Mid-night awakening is normal, and according to historian Roger Ekirch, a stable pattern of our ancestors.
However, if you go to bed late, get up early, and wake up during the night – that can be a problem. You need enough overall sleep to function well, and for most adults that is 7 or 8 hours a night.
2. If you don't get enough sleep during the week, you can make it up on the weekend.
Partly true. If you're short a few hours of sleep during the week, you can probably make it up by sleeping late on Saturday. However, you can't recover large amounts of sleep days later. The missing sleep is gone. And that has consequences as well: too little sleep can affect your energy and health.
If you're having trouble with sleep, one of the most important things you can do is to make sure you have a regular bedtime and wake up time. The regularity helps set your body's internal clock, and make it easier to stay with your sleep routine. Skimping on sleep during the week and sleeping more on the weekend disrupts this routine, and therefore your internal clock.
3. A glass of wine can help you sleep
False. Research shows that alcohol can help you nod off and get more deep sleep, the kind that heals the body, for awhile.
If that sounds too good to be true, it is. In return you get less REM sleep, which affects your concentration and memory.
Later in the night, as the alcohol is metabolized, you tend to get less sleep and wake up more easily. This might not be a problem if you're sleeping well and using alcohol in moderation, but if sleep is problem, you'd be better off skipping the glass of wine.
4. Sleep medications are a good solution for long term sleeping problems
The Mayo Clinic says this is false. Sleeping pills, they say, are “not the best long-term insomnia treatment.”
Medications focus on controlling the immediate symptoms of insomnia by slightly shortening the time it takes to get to sleep. There are other approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, which are designed to address underlying sleep problems and put you back in charge of your sleep.
5. Sleep problems are hard to treat
Sleep problems are among the easiest behavioral health problems to treat. Both Cognitive behavioral therapy and Neurofeedback are highly effective for treating insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy for sleep helps with general relaxation, dealing with thoughts that keep you awake, and regulating your sleep cycle. Neurofeedback help balance and stabilize the underlying brainwave patterns related to insomnia. Both are effective in a short period of time – usually from 4 to 15 sessions.
If you still need help...
The first step is to make sure your sleep-habits are good ones. Check yours against these:
- Practice relaxation daily
- Get regular exercise
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine after mid-day
- Set a regular bed time and wake up time
- When you're in bed, hide the clocks - counting minutes makes sleep worse.
- Avoid daytime naps
