Sleeplessness, and What You Can Do About it

With just about every newspaper reporting on the recent poll that found most Americans chronically underslept, one paper is offering some advice. The Wall Street Journal suggests that those who suffer from insomnia, not just a lack of sleep, try a few non-pharmaceutical remedies before resorting to chemicals. One often-successful method involves "talk therapy" and concentrates on positive thoughts, so that instead of worrying that you’ll never get enough sleep, you tell yourself that you’re actually getting more sleep than you think. Another technique, sleep restriction, deliberately deprives subjects of sleep and allows them to go to bed only when they are very tired. A third solution involves deep relaxation through yoga or other exercises. The Journal tells us that doctors also recommend that people limit the consumption of caffeine, alcohol and certain medications that might cause wakefulness. Booze might help you get to sleep, but it will just about guarantee that you don’t sleep well.