How to Cure Insomnia | Sleep Problems

Hi, I’m Janet Kennedy. I’m a licensed clinical psychologist and sleep specialist in New York City. You can find out more about me and my work on my website, nycsleepdoctor.com. If you’re having trouble sleeping, the first thing to do is take a look at your lifestyle and make sure that you’re in good health and that your habits are not interfering with your sleep. Getting exercise and taking care of the stress in your life is also really important. If that’s not enough though, you might me interested in taking medication. Medications can offer a temporary fix for insomnia and if your sleep in disrupted by something that is transient in your life then medication might be a really good option. The problem with medication though, is that it doesn’t fix the underlying problem, so if you’re not sleeping because you’re under a tremendous stress or you’re depressed or there are things going on in your life that you feel are out of control, when you stop taking medication, the sleep problems will resume. So if that’s the case, you can consider also getting some psychotherapy. Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia has been proven scientifically and has been found to be more effective than medicine alone. That’s because it takes the underlying cause of the insomnia and gives you strategies to handle the natural variations in sleep that happen day to day. So there are different options available to you if you’re having trouble sleeping and the right solution is gonna depend on your situation. If you need help making a decision, talk to your doctor about it, because your doctor can give you some helpful guidance.