Sleep is one of the basic instincts of man and insomnia is a very common problem which is under-reported,” Dr Surjeet Sahoo, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, said while speaking at a symposium organised on the occasion of ‘Impulse-2018’, the two-day annual festival of the institution which concluded recently.
Treatment of insomnia could require pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions as it is commonly linked to both medical and psychiatric illnesses, he said, adding the first step should be the attempt to find out the cause of the problem.
Dr Sahoo said insomnia affects the quality of life of a person and improvement of sleep would greatly enhance the same. But medicines, if needed, should be prescribed according to the benefit while keeping an eye on the possible side effects, he said.
Dr Sahoo said of those suffering from insomnia, 16 out of 100 people ran the risk of going into depression while five people without sleep disorder are susceptible to plunging into despair. Simple interventions like listening to soothing music or taking a warm bath could help facilitate sleep and there should be no rigorous exercise two to four hours before bed time, he said.
“However, one of the most important points is that you should not carry your worries to bed and avoid activity that is mentally taxing,” he added.