A good night’s sleep does wonders for our day, kick-starting it in a good, energetic way. It is like an energy booster pack that leads the way for an entire day’s work. If our sleep cycle is disturbed even for a day, it causes distress and problems the next day. In today’s fast-paced life, quality sleep is important. So, if one has a sleep disorder or faces issues of lack of sleep, they should get themselves checked and treated accordingly.

Treatments for sleep disorders

• Consultation with a doctor helps one identify and evaluate the problem of sleep disorders correctly and on time. Ideally, the team of doctors should include a neurologist, a psychiatrist, a pulmonologist, a dietitian and a sleep medicine specialist. The reason is that there is a chance that could be underlying medical conditions that cause insomnia too.
• Some good, tried and tested methods include have a good sleep cycle right from the beginning. Try and sleep on a mattress that makes you and your body feel comfortable. Avoiding watching television, try not to lie around with many pillows or sit down to read books.
• Say no caffeine post the evening time. It is better to get used to some relaxation routine such as swimming and any sort of outdoor games. Avoid activities that get you down physically during the latter part of the day. Maintain a regular schedule of sleeping and waking up. It is also important to start your day with morning exercise. Avoid small naps during the day.
• CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) helps alleviate sleep apnea. If sleep apnea is very severe, then surgical treatment would be required.
• For the sleepwalkers, it is important to protect them from sudden accidents, before they hurt themselves during their sleep.
• ‘Light phase shift therapy’ is another treatment used for those who are exposed to vivid lights. This treatment helps to normalize the sleep system.
• For insomnia, CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) works efficaciously for those who want to try short-term healing. It works better with a combination of zolpidem for some people also. Combined therapy delivers a greater remission rate than CBT alone during six-plus months’ duration of treatment.
• Nowadays there are diverse software programs available commercially for dealing with sleeping disorders such as wristbands or apps with motion sensor and detection technology. It helps to monitor and record the sleep periods and sleep pattern and behavior. It is a useful method to analyze one’s sleep patterns and also help discuss with problem with the doctors.