Sleep better without drugs

Nearly half of people in the U.S. routinely have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. Medications such as zolpidem (Ambien and generic) can help, but they have side effects, and they're not meant to be taken long-term—though many people do. They can be especially risky for older adults, a group that, ironically, is prescribed a disproportionately high amount of sleep drugs. Now a study has found that a short behavioral intervention aimed at changing sleep habits can provide serious, lasting relief for older adults with chronic insomnia, with virtually no risks.

In the study, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh divided 79 older adults with chronic insomnia into two groups. Half received a brief one-on-one session with a health professional in which they learned about behavior modifications such as getting up at the same time every day, going to bed only when sleepy, and avoiding naps. They also received a follow-up session and two follow-up phone calls. The other group received reading materials about sleep but no individualized instructions. People in the behavioral group had greater improvements in self-reported sleep quality as well as better outcomes on an objective measure of sleep-wake patterns called an actigraph, compared with the information-only group.  What's more, the improvements persisted after six months.

While the intervention tested in the study was administered by professionals, it involved behavioral changes that you can make on your own, at home. If you're struggling with a sleep problem, it's well worth trying those changes before resorting to sleep drugs, or to help reduce your reliance on them if you already take them. Our nationally representative survey of 1,466 adults in 2008 found that about half of the respondents who practiced some aspect of cognitive behavioral therapy said it helped a lot. Another effective strategy that's free of side effects: sound machines.

—Jamie Hirsh, senior associate editor

Learn about sleep strategies that work. Read our Best Buy Drugs report on treatments for insomnia.

 

 

—Aaron Bailey