| Sleep is an essential part of good health. A good | | | | can be due to a medical condition, such as chronic pain |
| night's sleep can help you feel good, look healthy, work | | | | from rheumatism or arthritis,' says Professor Jim |
| effectively and think clearly. | | | | Horne, who runs the Sleep Research Laboratory at |
| But sleep is not always so easy to come by. If you | | | | Loughborough University. 'Or it can be chemical, as a |
| sometimes have trouble falling asleep or staying | | | | result of drinking tea, coffee or alcohol. Chronic or |
| asleep, you're not alone. A 1991 Gallup study found that | | | | long-term insomnia is often associated with depression |
| more than one-third of all Americans suffer occasional | | | | or anxiety, and environmental factors certainly |
| or chronic insomnia. Sleep is an essential part of good | | | | contribute.' |
| health. A good night's sleep can help you feel good, | | | | And sleepless nights, staring wild-eyed into the |
| look healthy, work effectively and think clearly. | | | | darkness, are worse than bad dreams, |
| But sleep is not always so easy to come by. If you | | | | For too many people--an estimated 9percent of the |
| sometimes have trouble falling asleep or staying | | | | American population--a good night's sleep is an elusive |
| asleep, you're not alone. A 1991 Gallup study found that | | | | goal. The consequences of fatigue from chronic |
| more than one-third of all Americans suffer occasional | | | | sleeplessness include accidents in the car and at work, |
| or chronic insomnia. | | | | a dramatically increased risk of major depression, and |
| People often are surprised to learn that daytime | | | | worsening physical illness. |
| drowsiness is not an inevitable, harmless byproduct of | | | | Immediate relief is available, in the form of hypnotic |
| modern life, but rather a key sign of a sleep problem | | | | agents, for persons who have difficulty in falling or |
| that could be disastrous if not treated. | | | | remaining asleep or who cannot obtain restful, |
| Recent figures show that nearly a quarter of the | | | | restorative slumber. However, long-term improvement |
| population regularly cannot go to, or remain asleep, and | | | | usually involves behavioral therapy. These therapeutic |
| every year doctors write out more than 14 million | | | | approaches must be integrated if the patient's short- |
| prescriptions for sleeping tablets. | | | | and long-term needs are to be addressed. |
| The causes of sleeplessness are many and varied. 'It | | | | |