Insomnia is a disorder characterized by persistent difficulty or inability to fall asleep and/or go back to sleep after waking up during the night. This disorder has varying severity. Transient cases last between days and weeks, acute cases last up to six months and chronic cases persist for over six months and can continue for years.

Insomnia can, not surprisingly, lead to mental and muscular fatigue. However, insomnia can also result in symptoms such as anxiety, depression, etc. Insomnia itself can be a symptom of other issues including sleep apnea (interruptions in breathing), pain and anxiety.

In 2007 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that approximately 64 million Americans suffer from insomnia each year and that the disorder occurs more frequently in women than in men.

The most frequently sought treatment for insomnia is medications. Medications for insomnia include benzodiazepines (which can result in drug dependence), antidepressants (which can have sedating effects), melatonin (an herbal, over the counter medication) and antihistamines (also over the counter).

Non medication alternatives can be used in addition to medication or as a stand alone treatment. These treatment processes can also help the patient identify and resolve the root cause of the insomnia. These treatments include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Biofeedback (BFB) and Neurofeedback (NFB). Using CBT the clinician and the patient identify and work to resolve problematic sleep habits and disruptive thought patterns that contribute to insomnia. BFB and NFB allow the clinician to directly evaluate the patient's brain wave patterns that lead to insomnia. Based on this information and continuous feedback from the brain, the patient plays a video game that is specifically designed to reward more functional brain wave activity. The patient may experience decrease in insomnia following the very first visit. However, through repetition of this process the brain learns to make the more functional brain wave activity permanent.

Learn more about training your brain with Neurofeedback in this Scientific American Article.

For additional information about insomnia or the non medical treatments described here, please contact CORE Services, Inc. at 314-647-4880.