Treatment of Insomnia with Prescription Medications, Herbs, Supplements and Behavioral Changes

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Drug News and Health Blog of Doug Bremner, MD.

Blog postings and excerpts from Before You Take That Pill
on the treatment of insomnia and alternatives to prescription medications

Blog postings

May 2, 2008.
Cognitive Therapy for Sleep Problems Works Better Than Drugs

We're getting pounded with ads for sleeping pills,
but before you take a drug that will decrease your time to fall asleep by only
10 or 15 minutes, and that could increase your risk of car accidents or sleep,
consider the alternatives to sleeping pills like Ambien and Lunesta,
like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for insomnia... [more]

Articles

Do We Really Need Eight Hours of Sleep? And a Pill To Help Us Get That?
If we don't get our full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep we think there is something
wrong with us. And maybe we need a pill to help us out. But is that really true? The true facts
about sleep may not be what you think they are. [FULL ARTICLE]

Does Cognitive Therapy for Insomnia Really Work?
Many of us suffer from insomnia, and we have a tendency to reach for sleeping pills
to help us out. But did you know that cognitive behavior therapies work better for insomnia, and the effects
are longer lasting than that seen for z drugs like zaleplon (Sonata), zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta),
and zopiclone (Imovane)? [FULL ARTICLE]

What Are the Risks of Sleeping Pills?
You may have read some of the scary stories about sleep walking and worse with Ambien and
some of the other sleep medications. Is taking one of these medications right for you?
Find out more about medications for the treatment of insomnia like z drugs like zaleplon (Sonata),
zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and zopiclone (Imovane) and possible serious side effects [FULL ARTICLE]

What Causes Insomnia and What Can You Do About It?
Insomnia in its most disabling form - meaning several consecutive sleepless nights - affects 10-15% of Americans.
Insomnia is not a hopeless situation. There are a number of things you can do about it related to
changing your habits so you can get a good night's sleep and get over insomnia naturally. [FULL ARTICLE]

Herbs and Supplements For the Treatment of Insomnia
We'd rather not take prescription medications for insomnia because we are worried about addiction and side effects.
But have natural herbs and supplements been shown to work insomnia, and are they safe?[FULL ARTICLE]

Does Valerian Work for Insomnia?
Valerian, a supplement available in the US is an extract of the Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis),
a perennial plant native to North America, Asia and Europe. Valerian is promoted as a natural herbal aid for sleep; but does it work for insomnia? And are there any side effects? [FULL ARTICLE]

Doug Bremner, MD, is a physician and researcher in Atlanta GA and author of Before You Take That Pill:
Why the Drug Industry May be Bad for Your Health: Risks and Side Effects You Won't Find on the Label of
Commonly Prescribed Drugs, Vitamins and Supplements

Doug Bremner, MD, is a physician
and researcher in Atlanta GA
and author of Before You Take That Pill:
Why the Drug Industry May be
Bad for Your Health

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Archives 2008

Archives 2007

Topics

Accutane (1)
Actos (1)
Alzheimer's Disease (5)
Antibiotics (9)
Antidepressants (6)
Antidepressants & Suicide (1)
Arthritis & Joint Health (7)
Asthma Medication and Prevention (5)
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) (3)
Avandia (1)
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (4)
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Birth Control Pills (4)
Bisphosphonates (5)
Blogging Doctors (2)
Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Testing (4)
Breast Cancer (1)
Calcium (2)
Cancer (3)
Capital Punishment (1)
Celebrex (1)
Cholesterol (11)
Cipro (2)
Cold Medicines & Children (1)
Cox-2 Inhibitors (3)
Depression & Medication (5)
Diabetes Medications & Prevention(8)
Dieting & Diet Medications (4)
Drought (2)
Enlarged Prostate
Ezetimibe (2)
FDA (1)
Fibromyalgia (3)
Flu Shots (1)
Fosamax (1)
Gardasil (1)
Gastrointestinal Conditions & Medication (6)
Glitazones (5)
Healthcare Politics (4)
Heart Disease Prevention & Treatment (9)
Heart Disease Prevention & Treatment (9)
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) (1)
Hospitals (1)
Hypertension Prevention and Treatment (4)
Insomnia
Insurance (2)
Levaquinn (1)
Lice
Malaria (1)
Meditation (1)
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) (1)
Mindfulness (1)
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Overmedicated Nation (7)
Pravachol (1)
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Reality (1)
Ritalin (1)
Sexuality and Reproduction (3)
Singulair (2)
Insurance (2)
Sports Injuries (1)
Statins (5)
Stimulants (1)
Stress Reduction (1)
Tamiflu (2)
Vaccines (3)
Viagra and Erectile Dysfunction Drugs (1)
Vitamins, Herbs & Supplements (3)
Vytorin (2)
Women's Health (3)
Yoga (1)
Zetia (2)

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