ANN ARBOR, MI (UN. OF MICHIGAN HEALTH) - Millions of Americans struggle to get to sleep at night. In fact, around 30% of the population has some insomnia symptoms and about 10% of Americans have chronic insomnia.
A sleep psychologist at the University of Michigan Health says drugs that help you sleep are not the only answer.
“Prescriptions for sleep aids have doubled over the past 20 years. The problem is that over time, with repeated use of sleep aids, the effects on sleep can wane. And so, what we know is that alternative treatments or treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, when used in addition to medications or instead of medications, is that that can be a more durable approach, where the sleep tends to improve over time, and the sleep improvements can last longer,” says Dr. Deirdre Conroy, Sleep Psychologist at University of Michigan Health.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for sleep is now considered the frontline treatment for insomnia and can be effective in up to 80% of patients. However, Dr. Conroy says that there are not enough sleep medicine providers to meet the demand.
“The problem is the certification and the access to well-trained individuals to deliver that treatment. Sometimes we might recommend free apps that people can download, books. But I would really encourage training in this area and behavioral sleep medicine and sleep psychology in general in training programs across the country,” says Dr. Deirdre Conroy, Sleep Psychologist at University of Michigan Health
Studies have shown that using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can lead to significant reductions in the use of hypnotic sleep medications, which have more significant side effects.
