Daily HealthBeat Tip

Trying to sleep.

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

For chronic insomniacs, the simple goal of a restful night can elude them for decades. Understandably, chronic insomniacs will reach for sleeping pills or other drugs that supposedly can put them to sleep.

Trouble is, a scientific panel convened by the National Institutes of Health finds scant evidence that they work for chronic insomniacs. They might work for people with an occasional bad night. Or they induce drowsiness as a side effect of maybe an allergy treatment.

But the panel's chair, Dr. Alan Lesher of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, says chronic insomniacs might get some help through psychological therapy:

"There are science-based treatments that are out there. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an extremely effective technique. The problem is getting enough trained therapists." (nine seconds)

The patients could learn how to reduce anxiety and take other steps to help them sleep.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September 7, 2005

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