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Pinpointing Your Sleep Problem

  • Dr. Brian P. McDonough
  • Mental Health
  • Mental Health
  • Podcasts

Pinpointing Your Sleep Problem

Seeking help is the key to putting your insomnia to rest. By Dr. Brian P. McDonough. This audio file plays for 0 minutes and 45 seconds.

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A lot of people will tell you they have insomnia, but what exactly is insomnia? Actually, insomnia is not a diagnosis, but a clinical problem that reflects the perception a patient has about the quality and amount of sleep that he or she is receiving. People may complain about an inability to fall asleep or frequent early morning awakenings, and they don't feel rested. The best definition I have ever read about insomnia is that it is the inability to fall asleep or maintain sleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia affects 36% of the population, at least occasionally. As for treatment, there are medications, but often, the best approach is to have a health professional evaluate your sleep patterns and make some suggestions. The key is to get help, something only 5% of people with insomnia do.

I am Dr. Brian McDonough.

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More about this Topics

  • Managing holiday stress

  • Talking about suicide

  • Exercise and Depression

  • Winter Blues

  • Preventing Smoking

Other Topics

    • Effective Communication During a Crisis
    • Information Overload (2015)
    • Does Hi-Tech Cause Hi-Stress?
    • Isolation: How to Mentally Cope with Socially Isolating
    • Building Better Mental Health
    • Caring for your mental health
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    • Recognizing depression
    • Optimism and Recuperation
    • Teens and Depression
    • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Facts
    • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Basics
    • Helping Children Cope with Trauma When You Feel Its Effects Yourself
    • How to Fight Stress and Ward Off Illness
    • What Is Mental Health?