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Therapy may be the answer to catching a few zzz's
March 16, 1999 From Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen ATLANTA (CNN) --- A new study published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that getting advice from a sleep counselor was more effective long-term in battling late-life insomnia than taking sleeping pills. As many as 12 to 25 percent of healthy seniors complain of insomnia. They are able to fall asleep, but can't stay asleep, and wake up repeatedly during the night. The two-year study, being released in the March 17 issue of JAMA, followed 78 insomniacs with an average age of 65. For eight weeks some of the patients took part in weekly group therapy sessions and received advice on how to sleep better. Another group took a sleeping pill called temazepam. A third group received both the therapy and pills. A fourth, and final group, received no treatment at all. Study participants filled out sleep diaries for 24 months. Assessments were made: prior to the start of treatment; in post-treatment; at 3 months; at 12 months; and at 24 months. In the end, those who received just therapy had the most sustained improvements in their sleep. They spent just 33 minutes awake during the night, while those who had taken the drugs spent 50 minutes awake. The researchers think the findings are applicable to younger people who have trouble staying asleep. In therapy, patients were taught several ways to sleep better including:
The eight weeks of sleeping pills did help people, but long-term use of the drug is often not advised and once people stopped taking it, the problems with insomnia returned. According to James Kiley of the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research: "The hypnotic agents that are generally prescribed for insomnia do have some habit forming properties to them. They may have some residual effects that are things you want to try to avoid." More and more doctors are specializing in sleep disorders as insomnia becomes recognized as a serious health problem, but finding therapy may not be easy. "Those individuals that see their primary care physicians for a complaint of insomnia probably are not going to be given much in the way of behavioral therapy," Kiley said. RELATED STORIES: Pregnancy, hot flashes keep women awake, research says RELATED SITES: Journal of the American Medical Association
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