How Western medicine treats insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that brings physical and psychological discomfort to patients. Western medicine has a variety of methods for treating insomnia, including medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and biofeedback. This article will introduce these methods in detail and analyze their advantages and disadvantages.
Drug treatment
Drug treatment is one of the commonly used methods in Western medicine. In some cases, it can effectively help patients improve their sleep quality. Common medications include hypnotics and anxiolytics. Hypnotic drugs can quickly induce sleep, but long-term use may lead to increased dependence and tolerance; anti-anxiety drugs promote sleep by reducing anxiety and stress, but side effects such as dizziness and fatigue require attention.
However, it needs to be emphasized that taking medications should only be used when the severity is high or other non-drug methods are ineffective, and must be supervised by a professional doctor. During long-term use, it is also necessary to follow correct medication drinking, withdrawal procedures and other operations to reduce the risk of adverse reactions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a commonly used and effective treatment for insomnia. This therapy adjusts insomnia problems by helping patients establish correct sleep concepts, improve the sleep environment, and establish healthy bedtime habits. CBT includes the following aspects: Cognitive restructuring: Eliminating negative emotions and anxiety by restoring natural expectations and confidence in sleeping. Maintain a good sleep routine: Cultivate to go to bed at the same time every night and set an early wake-up time to stabilize the body\'s internal biological clock. Control stimulating factors: limit caffeine intake during the day, avoid excessive eating in the afternoon or dinner, etc., and manage stimulating factors that may affect falling asleep throughout daily life. Establish relaxation techniques: such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation training, which can help reduce tension before falling asleep and promote physical relaxation.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is highly regarded for its natural nature and no side effects, and is widely used in the treatment of insomnia.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a method of adjusting the physical state of the patient by measuring and monitoring physiological indicators. In the treatment of insomnia, indicators such as skin resistance and heart rate variability are often used for monitoring. By providing effective feedback, patients can learn how to proactively influence and improve their sleep quality.
Although biofeedback has achieved good results in some insomnia patients and does not require medication, this method still has shortcomings such as high technical requirements and high equipment costs. Therefore, in practical applications, whether to adopt it needs to be comprehensively considered based on individual circumstances.
Western medicine has a variety of methods to choose from for treating insomnia. Medication can quickly improve sleep problems, but long-term use requires caution;Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on adjusting the sleep environment and habits from the source; biofeedback guides patients to actively improve sleep quality by monitoring physical indicators. Depending on the individual situation, the doctor will choose an appropriate method or combine multiple methods for treatment.
