Insomnia
About one in two of us will experience insomnia for a period of time and about two million Australians suffer from what they feel is lack of sleep or poor quality for weeks, months or years. Insomnia can make you sleepy during the day, irritable, depressed, anxious and maybe even prone to errors at work. Some people aren't bothered by sleeping only a little but for many of us, we see it as a problem.
One of the things we do on Tonic is offer you the chance to try out ways of helping yourself to improved wellbeing and sharing your experiences with us. In series 1 we took for a test drive several non drug treatments for insomnia. Two of these options are still available to viewers.
First, it’s important to measure your sleep pattern – and that’s for a couple of reasons. One is that there are various kinds of insomnia:
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You may have trouble falling asleep
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You may wake too early and struggle to get back off again
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You may be a snorer and/or have sleep apnoea
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You may have depression or anxiety as the cause rather than the result
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Download and fill out the sleep diary for a couple of weeks to help establish what sort of sleeping pattern you have and to help identify what the problem might be. Sometimes simple strategies can have a big benefit. Relaxation and sleep hygiene are two useful interventions to help you get a better night's sleep. If one doesn't work, try the other, and if your symptoms still persist, speak to your doctor about alternative options.
Tonic's real world trial of non drug treatments for insomnia
In series 1 of Tonic we partnered with the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia to offer viewers three choices of non-drug insomnia treatments - relaxation, sleep hygiene and online cognitive behavioual therapy. The online cognitive behavioual therapy program has now closed, however the other options are still available should you wish to try them.
A word of caution: there are many causes of insomnia that need medical care for example asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, sleep apnoea, heart disease and mental illnesses such as depression. If you think you may have one of these conditions or any chronic disease in fact, you should make sure you see your GP to make sure that nothing is being missed and you're being properly treated. We also think that if you have long term insomnia and haven't seen your GP about it, it's a good idea to do so in case there is an underlying cause.
Please note Tonic does not endorse any of the therapies listed in it's insomnia trial, nor does it take responsibility for how the treatments are utilised. If you experience daytime tiredness that could affect your alertness, take extreme caution when driving or taking any medications. Tonic strongly recommends not consuming alcohol or any other drugs whilst on the program.
By downloading the information below you agree that you have understood the terms listed above.
SLEEP HYGIENE
Many sleeping problems are caused by poor habits honed over many years. Sleep hygiene involves implementing good sleep and lifestyle habits to help deliver a better night's sleep. Sleep quality and quantity can be greatly improved by making simple adjustments to your lifestyle, bedroom, and your routine when you go to bed, and there's some good evidence to support it.
What we're offering here is high quality information about how to improve your sleep by changing your environment and lifestyle. There's no guarantee it will work, however it is based on scientific evidence. If you have a medical condition like sleep apnoea, heart disease or lung disease, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease then we strongly advise you to see your medical practitioner for advice as implementing sleep hygiene may not be enough for you to improve your problems with sleep. You could have underlying issues that need attention.
CLICK HERE to download the relaxation information and instructions courtesy of our partner The University of Maryland Medical Center.
RELAXATION
Practicing relaxation techniques before bed can help some people get a better night's sleep. There are several techniques to try including progressive relaxation, tensing and releasing the toes, deep breathing and guided imagery. You can try the different techniques to see what works for you.
What we're offering here is high quality information about how to improve your sleep by learning relaxation therapies to help you get off to sleep. There's no guarantee it will work, however it is based on scientific evidence. If you have a medical condition like sleep apnoea, heart disease or lung disease, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease then we strongly advise you to see your medical practitioner for advice as implementing relaxation practices may not be enough for you to improve your problems with sleep. You could have underlying issues that need attention.
CLICK HERE to download the relaxation information and instructions courtesy of our partner The University of Maryland Medical Center.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT)
CBT centres around education and developing skills to identify and change negative or unproductive thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviours. Through Tonic, The University of Virginia Health System kindly offered their 'SHUTi' or 'Sleep Healthy Using The Internet' program, an innovative, experimental Internet based CBT insomnia intervention. Tonic viewers were among the first in the world to have access to it. Unfortunately enrollment for this program is now closed, however watch this space for opportunities to participate in the program in the future.
CBT is an area of insomnia treatment that has good evidence to support it, speak to your doctor about CBT if you are having trouble getting a good night's sleep.
