Report from The New Straits Times (Malaysia) dated 20 December 2011 :-
Short of knocking yourself unconscious, you’ve tried it all. Count sheep, gulp glasses of hot milk, soak in a hot bath, read a whole novel, wear ear plugs and eye masks...
What can you do?
Well, first of all, stop checking the clock. Yeah, yeah. It’s past 3am and you should be dreaming about your boss giving you a raise but instead, you’re worried you may lose your job if you fall asleep in the middle of the next day’s meeting.
Well, worrying will just make things worse.
“Stress anxiety and mood disorder (depression) are two of the main causes of insomnia,” says psychiatrist Dr Ting Joe Hang. “Most of my patients who have problems sleeping have some form of stress anxiety. I’d say some 60 to 90 per cent of patients suffering from depression also suffer from sleeplessness.”
GETTING TO THE ROOT
Treatment is not a simple matter of prescribing sleeping pills. “We have to get down to the cause of the anxiety and deal with that first,” says Dr Ting. “We’ll determine if it’s primary or secondary insomnia. For primary insomnia, we will advise the patient to observe sleep hygiene.
What that means is that the patient should try and keep a regular sleep pattern and make sure there are no distractions in the bedroom such as television or bright lights.
Primary insomnia means sleep problems that are not medical associated. Secondary insomnia is sleep problems due to health conditions such as asthma, depression, pain, medication and alcohol. There is also initial insomnia, when a person wakes up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep.
Patients may also be placed under cognitive behaviour therapy where the therapist will educate them about sleeping. “Sometimes, a patient suffers from insomnia anxiety. For instance, he or she may fall asleep easily on the living room sofa or easy chair but find it difficult to go to sleep when lying down in the bedroom. In this case, the therapist will attempt to change the way the patient thinks and feels about the bedroom,” says Dr Ting.
“Depending on the assessment, I may prescribe a mild medication,” he says, but adds that “insomniacs should restrain from self medication”.
So what are the worst things you can do if you are an insomniac?
“Drink alcohol excessively to induce sleep. Substance abuse is also out,” says Dr Ting firmly.
“Insomniacs drink alcohol because it can have a calming effect. What they don’t realise is that when you use alcohol, a little can work initially. But then they’ll need to drink bigger amounts and may end up an alcoholic.
“When you may fall asleep because of alcohol, you also wake up feeling poorly. Likewise with overeating. Such sleep is not refreshing as the body has to work hard to process or digest the food and alcohol.”
HOW MUCH SLEEP Legend has it that Isaac Newton made do with the minimum two to three hours sleep every day. How many hours is ideal?
Dr Ting says different people have different sleep hour requirements. “There are long sleepers, people who need anything between seven and nine hours while short sleepers can make do with four to six hours. I read somewhere recently that humans need only four hours,” he says, laughing as he adds that it is his observation that short sleepers tend to be more successful in life.
Dr Ting has had patients who have suffered sleeplessness for over 10 years. “Only a few insomniacs consult a psychiatrist,” he says. “Many resort to over-the-counter medication such as cough syrup.”
This can have detrimental effects in the long-term.
His youngest patient was a girl of 9, who was found to be suffering from anxiety problems. He says that in teens and young adults, insomnia is usually due to bad habits and the lack of bio-rhythm. They often stay up late till the wee hours and then sleep till late in the day.
Human circadian rhythms are controlled by a biological clock and work on a daily, 24-hour scale.
When it is light, the brightness can affect the body even though a person is asleep.
“For instance, not everyone can adapt to working the night shift. When they are forced to, it can affect their health in the long run.”
The majority of Dr Ting‘s patients who suffer from insomnia are females and retirees. He feels that career people would have a more established rhythm with working nine to five and then they are more tired when bedtime comes around.
Has he ever suffered from insomnia?
Dr Ting laughs. “Not for many years now. Perhaps when I was still in medical school and had to work shifts in the hospital during training. Then after med school, before I started work, I was chilling out with friends and would only go to bed late, so the natural sleep pattern was disrupted.”
Sleepless at Christmas
IT‘S the holidays. For some people, it‘s no fun at all and they spend sleepless nights when the year-end festivities come around. Think parties, shopping, baking, cleaning... but don‘t let stress and depression ruin the festivities. Minimise holiday stress by planning ahead and getting help. Here‘s how.
1. Forget perfection: Holidays are about fun, not following traditions laid down by your grandparents. Observe what you can and don‘t fret over what you can‘t.
2. Lower expectations: Family and friends may not have your high standards or you fear you don‘t live up to their‘s. C‘est la vie! Just smile, be pleasant and let whatever will be, will be.
3. Work out a budget: If that traditional leg of lamb has doubled in price this year, don‘t get worked up. Roast two or three chickens instead. As for presents, buy what you can afford, not what the other person expects.
4. Plan ahead: List down chores and spread them out so you won‘t have to do everything in a single day. Set aside days for shopping, baking, cleaning and so on...
5. Get help: If you cannot manage to host a party by yourself, organise friends and family to lend a hand.
6. Relax: Make sure you set aside some “me time“ in your schedule, even if it‘s only 30 minutes of uninterrupted indulgence to have a drink, read, listen to music or a soak in a hot bath.
7. Don‘t abandon healthy habits: If you overindulge, the guilt adds to your stress and guilt. Continue to get plenty of sleep and exercise.
8. Some people also feel abandoned during the holiday period. If you do, don‘t get depressed. Instead, join in community, religious or other social events. Volunteer your services and bring cheer to the underprivileged. You‘ll be surprised how good you‘ll feel about it.
Get a good night’s sleep
DON‘T suffer in silence. Follow these 10 tips from UK‘s The Sleep Council (www.nhs.uk) for a more restful night.
1. Keep regular hours. Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day will programme your body to sleep better.
2. Create a restful sleeping environment. Your bedroom should be kept for rest and sleep. Keep it as quiet and dark as possible. It should be neither too hot nor too cold.
3. Make sure that your bed is comfortable. It‘s difficult to get restful sleep on a mattress that‘s too soft or too hard, or a bed that‘s too small or old. If you have a pet that sleeps in the room with you, consider moving it somewhere else if it often makes noise in the night.
4. Exercise regularly. Moderate exercise on a regular basis, such as swimming or walking, can help to relieve some of the tension built up over the day. But don‘t do vigorous exercise too close to bedtime as it may keep you awake.
5. Less caffeine. Cut down on stimulants such as caffeine in tea or coffee, especially in the evening. They interfere with the process of falling asleep, and they prevent deep sleep. Have a warm, milky drink or herbal tea instead.
6. Don‘t overindulge. Too much food or alcohol, especially late at night, can interrupt your sleep patterns.
7. Don‘t smoke. It‘s bad for sleep. Smokers take longer to fall asleep, they wake up more frequently, and they often have a more disrupted sleep.
8. Try to relax before going to bed. Have a warm bath, listen to quiet music or do some gentle yoga to relax the mind and body.
9. Write away your worries. Deal with worries or a heavy workload by making lists of things to be tackled the next day. If you tend to lie in bed thinking about tomorrow‘s tasks, set aside time before bedtime to review the day and make plans for the next day.
10. Don‘t worry in bed. If you can‘t sleep, don‘t lie there worrying about it. Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again, then return to bed.
Lie down and sleep
If you can‘t sleep, worrying isn‘t going to help. Psychiatrist Dr Ting Joe Hang tells Tan Bee Hong it‘s necessary to find out what‘s causing the insomnia
TO sleep, perchance to dream... you‘ll happily settle for just the sleep. The house is quiet. Everyone is asleep. Except you, that is.
Short of knocking yourself unconscious, you’ve tried it all. Count sheep, gulp glasses of hot milk, soak in a hot bath, read a whole novel, wear ear plugs and eye masks...
What can you do?
Well, first of all, stop checking the clock. Yeah, yeah. It’s past 3am and you should be dreaming about your boss giving you a raise but instead, you’re worried you may lose your job if you fall asleep in the middle of the next day’s meeting.
Well, worrying will just make things worse.
“Stress anxiety and mood disorder (depression) are two of the main causes of insomnia,” says psychiatrist Dr Ting Joe Hang. “Most of my patients who have problems sleeping have some form of stress anxiety. I’d say some 60 to 90 per cent of patients suffering from depression also suffer from sleeplessness.”
GETTING TO THE ROOT
Treatment is not a simple matter of prescribing sleeping pills. “We have to get down to the cause of the anxiety and deal with that first,” says Dr Ting. “We’ll determine if it’s primary or secondary insomnia. For primary insomnia, we will advise the patient to observe sleep hygiene.
What that means is that the patient should try and keep a regular sleep pattern and make sure there are no distractions in the bedroom such as television or bright lights.
Primary insomnia means sleep problems that are not medical associated. Secondary insomnia is sleep problems due to health conditions such as asthma, depression, pain, medication and alcohol. There is also initial insomnia, when a person wakes up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep.
Patients may also be placed under cognitive behaviour therapy where the therapist will educate them about sleeping. “Sometimes, a patient suffers from insomnia anxiety. For instance, he or she may fall asleep easily on the living room sofa or easy chair but find it difficult to go to sleep when lying down in the bedroom. In this case, the therapist will attempt to change the way the patient thinks and feels about the bedroom,” says Dr Ting.
“Depending on the assessment, I may prescribe a mild medication,” he says, but adds that “insomniacs should restrain from self medication”.
So what are the worst things you can do if you are an insomniac?
“Drink alcohol excessively to induce sleep. Substance abuse is also out,” says Dr Ting firmly.
“Insomniacs drink alcohol because it can have a calming effect. What they don’t realise is that when you use alcohol, a little can work initially. But then they’ll need to drink bigger amounts and may end up an alcoholic.
“When you may fall asleep because of alcohol, you also wake up feeling poorly. Likewise with overeating. Such sleep is not refreshing as the body has to work hard to process or digest the food and alcohol.”
HOW MUCH SLEEP Legend has it that Isaac Newton made do with the minimum two to three hours sleep every day. How many hours is ideal?
Dr Ting says different people have different sleep hour requirements. “There are long sleepers, people who need anything between seven and nine hours while short sleepers can make do with four to six hours. I read somewhere recently that humans need only four hours,” he says, laughing as he adds that it is his observation that short sleepers tend to be more successful in life.
Dr Ting has had patients who have suffered sleeplessness for over 10 years. “Only a few insomniacs consult a psychiatrist,” he says. “Many resort to over-the-counter medication such as cough syrup.”
This can have detrimental effects in the long-term.
His youngest patient was a girl of 9, who was found to be suffering from anxiety problems. He says that in teens and young adults, insomnia is usually due to bad habits and the lack of bio-rhythm. They often stay up late till the wee hours and then sleep till late in the day.
Human circadian rhythms are controlled by a biological clock and work on a daily, 24-hour scale.
When it is light, the brightness can affect the body even though a person is asleep.
“For instance, not everyone can adapt to working the night shift. When they are forced to, it can affect their health in the long run.”
The majority of Dr Ting‘s patients who suffer from insomnia are females and retirees. He feels that career people would have a more established rhythm with working nine to five and then they are more tired when bedtime comes around.
Has he ever suffered from insomnia?
Dr Ting laughs. “Not for many years now. Perhaps when I was still in medical school and had to work shifts in the hospital during training. Then after med school, before I started work, I was chilling out with friends and would only go to bed late, so the natural sleep pattern was disrupted.”
Sleepless at Christmas
IT‘S the holidays. For some people, it‘s no fun at all and they spend sleepless nights when the year-end festivities come around. Think parties, shopping, baking, cleaning... but don‘t let stress and depression ruin the festivities. Minimise holiday stress by planning ahead and getting help. Here‘s how.
1. Forget perfection: Holidays are about fun, not following traditions laid down by your grandparents. Observe what you can and don‘t fret over what you can‘t.
2. Lower expectations: Family and friends may not have your high standards or you fear you don‘t live up to their‘s. C‘est la vie! Just smile, be pleasant and let whatever will be, will be.
3. Work out a budget: If that traditional leg of lamb has doubled in price this year, don‘t get worked up. Roast two or three chickens instead. As for presents, buy what you can afford, not what the other person expects.
4. Plan ahead: List down chores and spread them out so you won‘t have to do everything in a single day. Set aside days for shopping, baking, cleaning and so on...
5. Get help: If you cannot manage to host a party by yourself, organise friends and family to lend a hand.
6. Relax: Make sure you set aside some “me time“ in your schedule, even if it‘s only 30 minutes of uninterrupted indulgence to have a drink, read, listen to music or a soak in a hot bath.
7. Don‘t abandon healthy habits: If you overindulge, the guilt adds to your stress and guilt. Continue to get plenty of sleep and exercise.
8. Some people also feel abandoned during the holiday period. If you do, don‘t get depressed. Instead, join in community, religious or other social events. Volunteer your services and bring cheer to the underprivileged. You‘ll be surprised how good you‘ll feel about it.
Get a good night’s sleep
DON‘T suffer in silence. Follow these 10 tips from UK‘s The Sleep Council (www.nhs.uk) for a more restful night.
1. Keep regular hours. Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day will programme your body to sleep better.
2. Create a restful sleeping environment. Your bedroom should be kept for rest and sleep. Keep it as quiet and dark as possible. It should be neither too hot nor too cold.
3. Make sure that your bed is comfortable. It‘s difficult to get restful sleep on a mattress that‘s too soft or too hard, or a bed that‘s too small or old. If you have a pet that sleeps in the room with you, consider moving it somewhere else if it often makes noise in the night.
4. Exercise regularly. Moderate exercise on a regular basis, such as swimming or walking, can help to relieve some of the tension built up over the day. But don‘t do vigorous exercise too close to bedtime as it may keep you awake.
5. Less caffeine. Cut down on stimulants such as caffeine in tea or coffee, especially in the evening. They interfere with the process of falling asleep, and they prevent deep sleep. Have a warm, milky drink or herbal tea instead.
6. Don‘t overindulge. Too much food or alcohol, especially late at night, can interrupt your sleep patterns.
7. Don‘t smoke. It‘s bad for sleep. Smokers take longer to fall asleep, they wake up more frequently, and they often have a more disrupted sleep.
8. Try to relax before going to bed. Have a warm bath, listen to quiet music or do some gentle yoga to relax the mind and body.
9. Write away your worries. Deal with worries or a heavy workload by making lists of things to be tackled the next day. If you tend to lie in bed thinking about tomorrow‘s tasks, set aside time before bedtime to review the day and make plans for the next day.
10. Don‘t worry in bed. If you can‘t sleep, don‘t lie there worrying about it. Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again, then return to bed.