Sleeping Smart

Helene A. Emsellem, MD, medical director, The Center for Sleep & Wake Disorders, Chevy Chase, Maryland and National Sleep Foundation volunteer

Insomnia and Speaking to Your Healthcare Provider About Your Sleep Problems

"Hello, I'm Doctor Helene Emsellem, and the Director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders. I'm a member of the Sleeping Smart faculty, and I just want to thank you for taking the time today to learn about sleeping smart."

1. What is Insomnia?

"Insomnia is a problem that affects our ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and in some people, they may fall asleep fine, sleep through the first portion of the night and not be able to sleep the final few hours of the night, waking up tired. Although each of us has often experienced an occasional problem with insomnia when we are in a stressful situation, when we're talking about insomnia today, we're discussing chronic problems that may be present for a week, six weeks, several months or sometimes years. Ten to 15 percent of the population has chronic problems with insomnia, that's 30 million people. There are a lot of people out there and if you have a problem with insomnia, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable discussing it and talking about it, and trying to find a solution."

2. How do you know if you have insomnia?

"You may be wondering, how do you know if you really have insomnia, is this a real problem that requires attention? If you feel that you're getting an insufficient amount of sleep and it's happening on a regular basis, then we consider that to be insomnia. If you're having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep - some individuals may fall asleep fine but wake up between two and five in the morning and not be able to sleep the final portion of the night. Any of these patterns may be considered insomnia. If it happens to you once or twice a month, then that may be part of the complexities of our lives. But if this is a problem that you're dealing with night after night, and if you're getting up tired in the morning, then this warrants your attention."

Video 4: Sleeping Smart

"Hello, I'm Doctor Helene Emsellem, and the Director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders. I'm a member of the Sleeping Smart faculty, and I just want to thank you for taking the time today to learn about sleeping smart."

1. What should a person do to manage his or her insomnia symptoms?

"First, lifestyle changes can be helpful - watching caffeine intake, exercise and how late you eat your dinner; relaxation strategies to help you wind-down and separate your daytime from the evening can be helpful. And, making that appointment with your healthcare provider so that you can review what you're doing and find out what else can be done to help you can also really help you work on this problem. There are prescription medications for sleep that have an appropriate role in treating your insomnia."

2. What is the right way to take a sleep aid?

"If you are prescribed a sleep aid, then it's important to listen to your practitioner carefully, to their instructions on how to take it, and to follow those instructions. You shouldn't be driving after you take a medication of this sort, it's important to not combine it with alcohol, and to be sure that when you take it you're able to allocate seven to eight hours of time for sleep."

3. Many people are hesitant to take a sleep aid. Why do you think that is?

"I see many patients who are concerned when I suggest that we add a sleep aid to their insomnia treatment regimen, but there is an appropriate time to do this and these medications can be used safely and effectively."

"If your healthcare provider prescribes a sleep aid for you, then it's important for you to take responsibility to be sure you're taking it properly. Read the directions; don't drive after you take a medication, and be sure that you're devoting at least seven to eight hours of time for sleep on the night you're going to take a medication."

"Insomnia is treatable and manageable. Now you have some of the tools to go about taking care of this problem."