20% of Taiwanese suffer from insomnia
兩成的台灣人有失眠經歷
| Neurologist blames sleep disorder on sleeping pill dependency
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders among Taiwanese, with many turning to sleeping pills as a remedy. Physicians note that long-term use of sleeping pills can lead to more serious problems such as addiction, over-dependence, and avoidance of the root cause of the disorder. En Chu Kong Hospital Neurology Department Director Sun Yu (孫瑜) says insomnia can be divided into acute and chronic. Important events in life may cause temporary or acute insomnia, though difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep for more than three months is classified as chronic. Many patients with insomnia hope that doctors will prescribe sleeping pills to mitigate the problem, but Sun says that medical textbooks recommend only short-term use of sleeping pills with a warning to doctors to avoid long-term prescriptions. However, many people receive long-term prescriptions for sleeping pills. Sun warns physicians against prescribing sleeping pills to those who have never taken such drugs, as well as the general public against starting the habit. Insufficient sleep caused by insomnia can lead to various abnormalities in the body, such as weakened immunity, depression, and headaches. In severe cases, insomnia may lead to heart failure, liver disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and many other problems. Sun recommends non-drug therapy as the primary treatment for insomnia. Doctors can first look into a patient's medical history to find possible causes, such as physical disease or drug use. A sleep examination center can also measure brain waves with other physiological feedback devices used to teach the public how to relax. Sun appealed to the public to seek alternatives to medication to solve insomnia. Here are 10 suggestions to help you achieve better sleep: The function of the bedroom is to sleep. Do not read, watch TV, exercise, eat, or discuss things in the bedroom. Go to sleep when you want to sleep. Do not lie down if you do not feel sleepy. If you still cannot fall asleep within 20 minutes, consider getting up and sitting quietly or reading a book until you feel sleepy, and then go back to the bedroom to lie down. Get up at a fixed time every morning, no matter how much you slept the night before. After getting up in the morning, turn on the lights, open the windows, and expose yourself to sunlight. Try not to take a nap during the day. If you must take a nap, make it less than half an hour. Try to exercise as much as possible. Exercising too late at night will make it difficult to fall asleep. There should be at least two hours between dinner and sleeping. Eating a big meal at night or being too hungry will affect sleep. Avoid drinking coffee, tea, and sugary drinks such as milk tea at night. Smoking and drinking will affect sleep, so it is not advisable to drink alcohol before going to bed. Do not bring your troubles into the bedroom. Before going to bed, it is not advisable to recall and discuss the day's affairs. |
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| Sean Scanlan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2023-03-20 |
