Insomnia is a serious problem in America. In fact, 30 to 40 percent of adults say they have mild insomnia and 10 to 15 percent say they have chronic insomnia, according to the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health.
If you were to add up all the comprehensive items associated with enabling sleep – mattresses, drugs, blackout blinds, white noise machines – you come away with a $23.7 billion industry, according to a 2008 study done by research firm Marketdata Enterprises.
And if the recession is perhaps eating into your thoughts night after night, adding the weight of financial worries to an already overburdened mind, drugs and expensive mattresses are not the way to go about finding sleep.
Here are some cost-effective ways to fight the sleep battle:
Sleep Hygiene
Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but reciting the do’s and don’ts of sleep seem worthy of reiterating, such as avoiding caffeine later than the early afternoon. This commonly acknowledged thinking – that late in the day is not a time for stimulants – maybe accepted as the right way, but it’s clearly not followed by anyone working late. Also, the belief that alcohol aids in sleep is completely false. While it may help you fall asleep, it will also help make for much tossing and turning. Remember that when you happen to be raiding the liquor cabinet at two in the morning.
Bedroom Changes
You’ve probably heard this one before as well, but I assure you, it works – go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, no matter how much you slept. A regular sleep schedule biologically teaches your body when it’s time to go to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. You should also get in bed a half-hour or so before you plan to turn off the lights, and read a calming book or listen to relaxing music. Stimulating electronics like TV or energetic music is not the route to promptly falling asleep.
More extreme changes in your bedroom could include taking the TV and computer out of the room completely, or not doing any task in bed except sleeping. Such suggestions are meant to train your brain to associate the bedroom with sleep and nothing else.
Dimming the lights is also a good idea because it triggers the release of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin also comes in an over-the-counter nutritional supplement.
Exercise
Regular exercise, preferably in the late afternoon when your body is pleading for a siesta, can reduce the overall stress in your life. It has also been shown to help people ease into sleep because exercise in the late afternoon raises your body temperature for a few hours before bed, allowing it to start falling just as you’re ready to go to sleep.
Sleep Specialist
You should see your regular physician if you have mild insomnia. But if you have chronic insomnia or trouble sleeping for months, you should go find a sleep doctor. Sleep specialists usually work at accredited sleep centers.
Therapy: A Nondrug Option
Brand-name medications like Ambien or Lunesta can cost $2 to $3 a pill. And while over-the-counter medications containing sleep-inducing antihistamines (think Tylenol PM) are fine for a night or two, they typically don’t work long-term and can also come with some unpleasant side effects.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has been recommended by doctors for chronic insomnia. It’s a form of therapy to help patients change the behaviors and thoughts that often get in the way of a good night’s sleep. Advocates of the therapy say that once it has been learned you may never have to spend money on medications again.
If insurance covers your visits than you’ll only be responsible for the co-payment. If not, cognitive behavioral therapy may cost $100 to $150 a session.
Visit SleepEducation.com to learn what the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has to say about shuteye.
For more ideas on how to improve your financial health, check out Quizzle.com, where you’ll learn how to achieve your credit potential and get home loan recommendations tailored to your unique situation.
And check out these other great money saving articles from the Quizzle Wire:
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- How to Build $1,000 in Savings – Painlessly!
Great resource. Insomnia is a big battle even among what seems to be “normal” people living a normal life.
And I support the Cognitive behavioral therapy as very effective. I knew some people who underwent the program who think that it was great. It helped them a great deal in becoming aware of the faulty areas of their thinking and how to change them. It’s a very eye-opening program that gives people the tools to improve themselves, and in turn, improve their lives.