Tag Archives: insomnia

Sleep Deprivation: The Hidden Cause of Healthcare Professional Burnout

June 29, 2022

“Burnout is at a crisis level, made worse by COVID-19,” says sleep medicine specialist Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, quoted by MedPageToday.

Approximately 50% of healthcare professionals were already experiencing some form of burnout syndrome before the pandemic, which only worsened their professional and personal wellbeing. Per the Surgeon General Advisory issued on May 23, 2022, there is an urgent need to address the healthcare worker burnout crisis sweeping across the country. This is not only to support those currently struggling but also to prepare for the projected shortage of 3 million low-wage healthcare workers in the next five years. Continue reading →

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia 

October 22, 2021

Up to 32.5% of all adults in the United States report sleeping for less than seven hours per night on average despite needing between seven and nine hours of sleep. The problem of insomnia affects between 10% and 35% of adults, varying in duration, severity, and treatment outcomes. For some, insomnia can present as a brief problem while other patients may struggle with severe, chronic insomnia – both can have a negative effect on overall health, increasing the risk of mental health disorders, lowering quality of life, and raising blood pressure.

Sleeping medications are often prescribed to help patients resume a normal, healthy sleep schedule although these risk dependency and may lead to unwanted side effects. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, also known as CBT-I, is short, structured, and evidence-based approach to combating insomnia that can benefit the majority of patients with sleep problems. CBT-I can be beneficial for individuals with primary insomnia as well as those with chronic pain and mental health disorders.

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Weighted Blankets for Insomnia and Anxiety

May 2, 2019

In an era of continuous over-stimulation and high stress, a good night’s sleep is becoming increasingly hard to come by. More and more individuals are developing sleep apnea, chronic insomnia, and other sleep disorders, creating a “sleep market” — worth $28.6 billion in 2017 — focused on curing sleepless Americans. Over-the-counter and non-prescription drugs are on the rise, while sedatives such as Ambien and Lunesta remain as the most commonly prescribed drugs for insomnia.

As the side effects of sleep medications can be debilitating, insomniacs are increasingly turning to more natural solutions. A new, drug-free approach to targeting insomnia and other anxiety-related sleep disorders has been growing in popularity over the past two years.  Weighted blankets, or gravity blankets, are being marketed as the latest solution for insomnia, nighttime anxiety, and stress. Filled with plastic beads or pellets, these blankets tend to range in weight from 3 to 20 pounds and are meant to mimic a comforting hug, lulling users to sleep naturally.

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