In case of insomnia, you should not lie in bed for hours, trying to force yourself to sleep, and also you should not engage in active activities hoping to get tired. Current clinical guidelines consider both options inconvenient, said psychiatrist, doctor of philosophy and doctor Ruslan Isaev in an interview with RT.
"If sleep does not come for a long time, it is best to leave the bedroom for a short time, engage in a quiet, non-stimulating activity in dim light (for example, read a book) and return to bed only when you feel sleepy," advised the specialist.
"The problem is not to be 'tired', but to avoid reinforcing the conditioned association 'bed = place where I suffer and worry about not sleeping.' This approach is used in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and aims to restore the natural connection between bed and sleep," RT's source emphasized.
According to him, if sleep disorders continue for a long time, are repeated several times a week and are accompanied by daytime fatigue, decreased performance or emotional disturbances, then it is not worth delaying the consultation with a specialist.
In clinical practice, insomnia is considered chronic if it continues for at least three months and occurs at least three times a week. Insomnia is not always an independent problem. Psychiatrists consider insomnia not only as a separate sleep disorder, but also as a possible symptom of other diseases, most often anxiety and depression disorders," warned the doctor.
According to the doctor, however, sleep changes are also characteristic of bipolar disorder and a number of other mental illnesses.
"Therefore, in the case of long-term insomnia, it is important to exclude those diseases that require special treatment. In such situations, it is not the insomnia that needs to be treated, but the underlying cause," concluded Isaev.
