Insomniacs could benefit from change in habits
27/08/2008
A change in bedtime habits could give those suffering from insomnia a welcome break, a recent report has revealed.
Medical News Today reported on a study taken out by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) that concluded that a fundamental change to bedtime habits could improve sleep all year round.
It highlighted the need to go to bed only when necessary and not watching TV or reading in bed, as well as avoiding napping during the day.
Professor Peter Sawacki, the institute''s director, also added that sleeping pills were a short-term fix at best, with the medication causing a lot of "adverse effects", particularly for older people.
He added: "Sleeping pills are not the best way to solve underlying problems like depression or painful conditions that are interfering with a good night''s sleep."
A senior psychiatrist at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in San Diego recently linked sleeping pills to skin cancer, according to a statement by the organisation.
