Insomnia - Living With - Living With
If you have been diagnosed with insomnia, follow your treatment plan and make healthy lifestyle and sleep changes. The following steps can help prevent your insomnia from returning or getting worse.
- Keep a regular schedule.
- Get regular physical activity.
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and illegal drugs.
Talk with your doctor about how often to schedule follow-up visits. Between visits, tell your doctor if you have any new or worsening symptoms or if you have side effects from your medicines. He or she might prescribe a different medicine or treatment.
Your doctor may ask you to keep a sleep diary to help you keep track of how well you are sleeping during and after your treatment.
Even when your sleep improves, you may need to keep a regular daily schedule, take your medicines regularly, and continue cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
Other health conditions linked with insomnia
Often, people who have insomnia have other conditions that can affect sleep, such as:
- Brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injuries
- Chronic (long-term) pain
- Heart and lung diseases, such as asthma and heart failure
- Mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Other sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, and circadian rhythm disorders
- Other health conditions, such as diabetes, problems with digestion, problems with your , and having to get up often to use the bathroom.
Insomnia may also make these conditions or their symptoms worse. It is important to manage these conditions to prevent your insomnia from returning or getting worse. In addition, some medicines that are used to treat these conditions can also increase your risk of insomnia. Talk to your doctor about your medicines as there may be other options for treating your condition.