A contributing factor in many farm accidents is poor sleep management, according to researchers at Texas Tech University. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control has called insufficient sleep “a public health epidemic,” linking it to chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression and obesity, as well as cancer, increased mortality, reduced quality of life and lowered productivity.
“Poor sleep leads to undesired consequences like fatigue, daytime sleepiness, irritability, decreased concentration and impaired memory, to name a few,” said Sandeep Goplani, MD, of Washington Regional Sleep Medicine Clinic in Fayetteville, Ark.
Insomnia, a common sleep disorder, is defined by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking too early or overall poor quality of sleep with next-day consequences. There are two types of insomnia, Dr. Goplani explained. Comorbid insomnia is a sleep disorder that appears in the presence of at least one other condition, such as medication side effects, substance abuse, psychiatric problems or an underlying sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. “A thorough patient health history and physical examination help to find out all the possible conditions contributing to comorbid insomnia,” Dr. Goplani said. He added that a sleep study may be conducted if a disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea is suspected. “Treating these underlying conditions is the mainstay of managing comorbid insomnia.”
Primary insomnia, however, is sleeplessness that is not attributable to a medical or psychiatric cause. It can often be remedied with cognitive behavioral therapy. The National Institutes of Health reports that healthy sleep changes can be achieved through cognitive behavioral therapy, a doctor-monitored program that identifies thoughts and behaviors that contribute to sleep problems and replaces them with habits that promote healthy sleep.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia may include:
1. Stimulus Control – Re-associate the bedroom with sleeping. “Some patients go to bed and watch TV or surf the Internet on their laptop, but those are activities that put your mind on alert,” said Dr. Goplani. “Avoid activities other than sleep and sex in bed.” He also recommended going to bed only when you feel sleepy, and if you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, getting out of bed to do something relaxing or even monotonous.
2. Sleep Hygiene – “Avoid heavy meals, alcohol and stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine, particularly near bedtime,” Dr. Goplani suggested. “Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool. It’s good to get as much bright light as you can during the day, but avoid lights in the bedroom at night.” And if you happen to wake up in the night, he advised, don’t watch the clock.
3. Sleep Restriction Therapy – It may seem strange, Dr. Goplani said, but spending too much time in bed can actually cause sleep difficulties. “Sleep restriction therapy is based on the uderstanding that sleep deprivation will increase the drive to fall asleep and remain asleep,” he reports. Resist the urge to sleep in on your days off; select one standard wake-up time. “Avoid napping, too,” he cautions. “For adults, naps are only beneficial after age 65 or so.”
Gina Brooks Maddox is the Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator for Washington Regional Medical System in Fayetteville, Ark.
