Millions of Americans lie awake at night counting sheep - or have a stiff drink
or pop an allergy pill, hoping it will make them drowsy. But experts agree all
that self-medicating is a bad idea, and the causes of chronic insomnia remain
mysterious.
Almost a third of adults have trouble sleeping, and about 10 percent
have symptoms of daytime impairment that signal true insomnia. Sufferers readily
cite the resulting problems: walking around in a fog, as memory and other
cognitive functions slow. Dozingoff at the wheel or at work. Depression. Lack of
energy. But for all the complaints, scientists know surprisingly little about
what causes chronic insomnia, its health consequences and how best to treat it,
a panel of specialists brought together by the National Institutes of Health
concluded Wednesday.
Two things are clear, the panel found: Chronic insomnia is a major public
health problem. And too many people are using unproven therapies, even while
there are a few treatments that do work.
The hope is that the report will dispel some of what panelist Dr. Sean
Caples of the Mayo Clinic decried as "misinformation and myths."
Among the panel's findings:
_Cognitive/behavioral therapy - a psychology-based treatment that trains people to reduce anxiety and take other sleep-promoting steps - is very effective, and doesn't cause side effects. But it can be hard to find
health providers trained in the techniques. Insomniacs should check with board-certified sleep specialists and psychologists.
_Newer prescription sleep pills called Sonata, Ambien and Lunesta work
without many of the side-effect concerns of older agents known as benzodiazepines.
One study of Lunesta showed effectiveness with six months of use, but more
research on long-term use of all three is needed, as chronic insomnia can
linger for years.
_The most commonly used treatments are alcohol and over-the-counter sedating
antihistamines like Benadryl. Alcohol use actually disrupts quality sleep, and
antihistamines can cause lingering daytime sedation and other cognitive problems.
_The most common prescription insomnia medicine is an older, sedating
antidepressant called trazodone, even though there's no good evidence that it
offers more than a two-week benefit, and it comes with side effects.
_There is no evidence backing the effectiveness of the popular dietary
supplements melatonin and valerian to fight insomnia.
1.One of most effective ways to deal with choric insomnia is_______.
A. to have a stiff drink
B. to pop an allegry pill
C. to sleep and get up early
D. Cognitive/behavioral therapy
2. Which of the following symptoms does NOT belong to insomnia?
A. Walking around in a fog
B. Lack of energy
C. nap at noon
D. cognitive functions loss
3. The National Institutes of Health found that ________.
A. unproven therapies are commonly used by people.
B. chronic insomnia is just a minor healthy problem.
C. the side effects of cognitive/behavioral therapy deserve our attention
D. dietary supplements can be introduced to insomnia sufferers
4. "over-the-counter" means_______.
A. Non-prescriptional
B. counter offering
C. cheap and easy-to-get
D. illegal
5. From the passage we can infer that ________
A. unproven medicines can not treat chronic insomnia at all
B. insomnia sufferers have found curable medicines
C. sleep specialists and psychologists can not be trusted
D. Chronic insomnia still baffles sleep experts
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