HOUSTON, Jul 22, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Stress and anxiety -- and worrying
about the economy -- can definitely impact sleep, a U.S. sleep expert says.
Dr. Sunil Mathews, medical director of the Sleep Center at Baylor Medical Center
at Irving, says insomnia can turn into a vicious cycle. For example, many who
are sleepless are very likely to use caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea and
sodas during the day to compensate for their sleepiness. But the use of
artificial stimulants and insomnia are correlated. The majority of people who
have difficulty sleeping report using those substances, Mathews says.
Mathews describes these habits as "poor sleep hygiene," or behaviors -- going to
bed at irregular times, watching TV late at night, exercising too close to
bedtime and consuming caffeine and alcohol -- will delay the onset of sleep.
Another aspect of poor sleep hygiene includes worrying while in bed, Mathews
says.
"Some people can develop an unhealthy habit of using the bed to plan for the
next day," Mathews says in a statement. "The mind won't shut down, which delays
sleep onset."
Many may turn to sleep aids like pills, but these aids are short-term solutions
and tend to cause next-day drowsiness and then prevent sleep the next night,
unless another pill is taken, Mathews says.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International