Dr. Guerra is an expert in Psychiatry in Madrid, specializing in depression, personality disorder, eating disorders or post-traumatic stress. In this article he talks about the sleep disorders that affect adults, proposing the different treatments and indications to be followed for their regulation.
Sleep disorders can be caused by an excess (hypersomnia) or a lack (hyposomnia or insomnia) of sleep. These disorders can be caused by medical and neurological diseases, as well as psychiatric diseases such as affective disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse and dementia.
Non-pharmacological treatment for sleep disorders
Sleep hygiene consists of a series of non-pharmacological measures to promote sleep. Among these measures are:
– Establish regular bedtime and wake-up times.
– Eat a light dinner and avoid drinking coffee or tea after 5 pm.
– Do not exercise intensely in the late afternoon, but do age-appropriate exercise during the day.
– Avoid visual and auditory overstimulation before bedtime, such as computer, television or reading. If this is done, the content should be unexciting to avoid exciting the brain.
– Consuming alcohol sporadically or moderately, but it is better if it can be suppressed. It should be avoided if drugs are taken and it is important that it is not consumed during dinner.
– Take sedative infusions, hot and with honey. It is advisable to get advice from a herbalist.
Psychopharmacological treatments for sleep disorders
In many occasions it is necessary to medicate the patient so that he/she can sleep normally. The drug administered will depend on the basic modalities of insomnia:
– Conciliation: hypnotics are administered.
– Maintenance: The patient sleeps intermittently and usually suffers nightmares, anxiolytics are prescribed.
– Late insomnia: The person wakes up earlier; low doses of sedative antidepressants are given. It is usually a correlate of a very mild depressive disorder in which only this symptom appears.
– Mixed insomnia: the above-mentioned psychotropic drugs are combined, each one in the corresponding dose.
It is important that these drugs are always prescribed by a general practitioner, internist or psychiatrist, in the lowest possible dose and for a limited time to avoid dependence.
Recommendations on treatment for sleep disorder
The patient should avoid abuse of the drugs, i.e., should not take more than the prescribed dose. In the same way, you should stop taking the medication when the doctor has indicated it, you should not extend the treatment of your own free will. All this to avoid self-medication sometimes favored by following some Internet content that only a doctor can interpret.