Many people with sleep problems, including insomnia, have the following symptoms:  Taking 30 minutes or longer to fall asleep Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep Waking up too early Sleepiness during the day Being in a bad mood, feeling depressed or anxious Forgetfulness, making more mistakes at school or work Tension headaches Gastrointestinal problems Worrying about not sleeping enough Some medications contain stimulants or alter sleep patterns in other ways. This includes even some over-the-counter medications. Drugs that may do this include:  Over-the-counter pain medications, decongestants, and diet products Stimulants like Ritalin Allergy medications Corticosteroids Antidepressants Heart and blood pressure medications This is often suggested for people who have had difficulty sleeping for over a month. There are several techniques that the therapist may use:.   Cognitive behavioral therapy: This therapy is aimed at helping you change thought patterns that might be keeping you awake. This may be helpful if you are prone to worrying or under a lot of stress.  Stimulus-control therapy: In this technique, you reduce the amount of time you spend in bed awake and use your bed for only sleep and sex.  Sleep restriction therapy: During this method, you reduce the amount of sleep you get on one night, with the goal of making you sleep better the next night. As you get back on a regular sleep cycle, you increase the amount of time you spend in bed.  Paradoxical intention: This treatment can be effective for people who worry a lot about not sleeping. Instead of worrying about not sleeping, you try to stay awake.  Biofeedback: This method can be helpful for people who may not realize that they are too tense to sleep. By measuring your activity of your body, such as your heart rate and muscle tension, you can learn to consciously relax. To make sure you are working with someone reliable, ask if there is a doctor supervising the work. If you are severely sleep-deprived your doctor may recommend a medication that will make you sleepy. However, many have serious side effects including being addictive, so it is important to use them for as short a time as possible. In general they shouldn’t be taken for longer than a month. Some medications you may use for sleep include:  Over-the-counter antihistamines. Be aware that you may be too drowsy to drive or operate machinery the next morning. Also, if you have urinary problems or frequently have to get up many times at night to urinate, these medications may make it worse.  Melatonin (Circadin). This medication consists of the hormone melatonin which controls your sleep cycle. It is most often prescribed for seniors. It can be used for up to 13 weeks. Side effects include headaches, cold symptoms, back and joint pain. Benzodiazepines (Valium and others). These medications can be addictive and, as you become habituated, they become less effective. They also cause side effects such as dizziness, difficulty focusing, lack of emotion, depression, irritability, and sleepiness the next day. Z-drugs (Ambien, Sonata). These medications are also addictive and less effective over time. They can cause drowsiness, diarrhea, snoring, dry mouth, confusion, nightmares, delusions, and hallucinations. If you experience psychological side effects, go immediately to the emergency room.
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