Obesity23 %Depression Stress32 %Anxiety31 %including REM, and as some stages are deeper
than others, it’s possible that insomniacs drift
around in a sort of “shallow sleep” rather than
stay awake all night long. “Because of their
presence in the room and potential for false
feedback, sleep monitoring devices could
well be creating preoccupation problems,
rather than encouraging sleep,” warns Kyle.
“And, at present, not many of them have
scientific data to support their validity.”
Nor does the insomniac need a device to tell
him what he already knows: that he’s been
awake all night.
Another disconcerting factor is that,
according to the Changes In Insomnia
Prevalence study, the number of prescriptions
for sleeping pills on the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme has risen by almost 9 per
cent since 2001.
Perhaps that’s because there are no
shortage of options: benzodiazepines, like
Valium, Xanax and Temazepam, slow down
nerve transmissions in the brain for a sedating
effect, while so-called ‘Z-drugs’, such as
zopiclone and zaleplon, suppress brain
receptors, encouraging a calm state of mind.
The bad news is that in addition to being a
short-term fix, many of these medicines have
also been proven to be highly addictive, with
GPs putting stringent caps on prescriptions in
order to prevent one problem becoming two.
“There’s a strong likelihood that when you
stop taking sleep medication you will suffer
rebound insomnia and experience further
trouble sleeping,” says pharmacist Dr David
Branford. “Most people think that the cure
for this is to start taking the tablets again, but
by then they will have built up a tolerance
and require a higher dose to see any effects.
It’s easy to develop a dependency, and
withdrawal can be horrible.”Up All Night
Naturally, for purveyors of everything from
sleep medication to bio-tracking apps, profit
can be made only while we remain restless.
This begs the question of whether the sleep
industry is really working for us, or if we’d
be better off to simply stop worrying about
sleep. Siegel believes the latter may be the
answer. “Anything that reduces anxiety will
help,” he says. “What doesn’t help is worrying
that not sleeping will have dire consequences
for your health. For the most part, it won’t.
Unless you’re taking sleeping pills.”
Despite his suspicions, Kyle is certain
that with more refinement sleep tech will
become an inevitable part of treatment in
the future. “Technology will continue to play
an increasingly important role in supporting
all wellbeing, sleep being no exception,”
he says. “In clinical practice, people with
persistent insomnia rarely get offered the
best treatment, but wearable devices – if
shown to be reliable indicators of sleep – may
have the potential to provide patients with
unique insights into what’s keeping them
awake.” Until such time, however, Kyle
suggests a more targeted approach may be
in order. “Cognitive behavioural therapy is a
structured approach, addressing thoughts,
behaviours and arousals that disturb sleep,”
he says. “Decades of research have proven
it to be the most effective treatment for
persistent insomnia.”
Without further research, it’s near
impossible to say which of the latest batch
of sleep gadgets and toys is actually helping,
but it is clear that to many insomnia sufferers,
such devices provide a degree of comfort –
even if the effect may be more placebo than
proven. After all, the alternative – adding
your name to a protracted GP waiting list – isunlikely to be of much solace as the clock
strikes 3am and you’re yet to drift off.
In my own experience, the best advice
came as I reached the pinnacle of my
desperation. Feeling as though I’d exhausted
all other options, I sought out sleep
medicine expert Colin Espie. “The ultimate
reassurance for the insomniac is that sleep
is irresistible,” he said, citing the example of
First World War soldiers who, bombarded by
enemy shells, scared rigid in trenches and
sentry posts, could nevertheless not prevent
themselves from dozing while on duty. “You
can resist eating, you can choose not to drink,
but you can’t choose not to breathe and you
can’t choose not to sleep,” says Espie. And if
young men scared witless in the muddy fields
of France can find shuteye, there’s no reason
why I, in my comfortable suburban home,
shouldn’t be able to do the same.
Espie reiterates the psychosomatic
root of the problem, advising that rather
than looking to ostentatious technology or
pharmaceuticals, we must instead embrace
our insomnia and face the problem head
on. The technique is simple: for a few
nights stay up very late and set your alarm
to go off early. Regardless of when you fall
asleep, get up with your alarm. This may
seem counter-intuitive, but going to bed
early simply increases the amount of time
you lie there fretting. Repeat until you find
it harder and harder to make it to your late
bedtime. Then behold – your sleep drive is
returning. You will understand, with great
relief, that your insomnia can be managed
on your own terms. And as you drift off to
sleep, victorious, you will find that bedtime
no longer holds such terror. You will know
that, for tonight at least, it is time for some
well-earned rest.MENTAL HEALTH AND OBESITY
AMONG MALE INSOMNIACS
HEALTH CONDITIONPercentage affected by each condition
0 %102030405060SOURCE: ROY MORGAN48 %HEALTH