An Integrative Approach to Insomnia

Timothy B. McCall, M.D.

Natural, self-care solutions to insomnia can keep you out of the doctor’s office and off medication. Here are some of the best alternative approaches to dealing with your sleep-related problems.

If you have trouble staying awake during the day but nonetheless experience difficulty either falling or staying asleep at night, you suffer from insomnia, and you’re far from alone in your aggravation. An estimated two-thirds of Americans have a sleep-related problem, which can be much more than a minor inconvenience. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 100,000 car accidents per year are caused by drowsy drivers. And a recent study published in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet found that building up a sleep deficit adversely affects carbohydrate metabolism and the functioning of endocrine glands like the thyroid. According to the study's authors, "the effects are similar to those seen in normal aging and, therefore, sleep debt may increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders."

A common medical solution to such rampant and potentially harmful sleeplessness is the use of powerful sleeping pills, which can cause dependency and lose effectiveness over time. A former patient of mine, Henry Anderson, is a typical case study in this knee-jerk response to insomnia. Another doctor started him on a large dose of the sleeping pill Halcion, and within weeks he had become so hooked that without it, he couldn't sleep at all. When I questioned him about his lifestyle and habits, he told me that he drank a large cup of coffee after dinner each night less--than three hours before he went to bed. Eureka! He was, in effect, taking one drug—Halcion—to counteract the side effects of another—caffeine. After switching to decaf and tapering off the pills over the next few weeks, he was soon getting a good night’s sleep.

It seems obvious that instead of immediately prescribing medication, looking closely at Anderson’s habits and circumstances might have offered a simple self-care solution. Doing so takes time, however, and in the sped-up world of managed care, many doctors aren't spending the few extra minutes required.

Luckily, if you know the basics of more natural approaches to insomnia, you may not need a doctor's help at all.

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