Not only does a lack of sleep affect your physical wellness, but it also affects your mental wellness, relationships, and job or school performance. Unfortunately, insomnia has become a way of life in the U.S. Nearly 60 million Americans experience insomnia each year, according to the Washington University Physicians Sleep Medicine Center.

Insomnia treatments are available, but the best approach depends on the cause of your sleeplessness. Addressing chronic insomnia on your own can be frustrating and may make you feel even more stressed when it is time to climb into bed at night. Online therapy from MindRX Group is highly effective for individuals seeking a comprehensive approach.

What Is the Process of Online Therapy for Insomnia?

When it comes to seeing an online psychiatrist for insomnia, the process follows the same protocols as in-person therapy. Your online psychiatrist may recommend starting with a medical examination to rule out any physical health issues that may be contributing to your difficulty falling or staying asleep.

A complete mental health evaluation is also necessary. Once the cause of your insomnia has been diagnosed, your provider will develop a customized treatment plan to address your specific needs.

Medications are often one of the first recommendations for patients with insomnia. They are a valuable tool for helping people get the sleep they need, but they are not the only effective treatment. If medications are appropriate, the psychiatrist can prescribe them as well as recommend additional therapeutic approaches.

Frequently Recommended Treatments for Insomnia

Lifestyle changes are a good place to start for sleep improvement, but most people have already tried changing their habits before trying online therapy for insomnia. Daily changes that promote good sleep include:

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other stimulants close to bedtime

• Maintain the same bedtime and waking time every day

• Make your bedroom a relaxing retreat for sleeping

• Exercise regularly, ideally five to six hours before bedtime

• Avoid late-night dinners or heavy snacks

• Practice stress management techniques like meditation

Incorporating lifestyle changes with other health treatments is ideal. Your MindRX Group online psychiatrist may have even more helpful suggestions for developing good sleep habits.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches people to recognize and change negative thinking and behavioral patterns. As it relates to insomnia, CBT is helpful for controlling the negative thoughts that keep you awake at night. Depending on your specific needs, an online therapist may recommend one or more of these CBT techniques:

• Sleep restriction

• Stimulus control therapy

• Sleep hygiene

• Sleep environment improvements

• Relaxation training

• Paradoxical intention

• Biofeedback

CBT is an effective approach for addressing the core causes of insomnia, not just relieving the symptoms. Combining several of the above techniques is typically recommended by professionals.

Talk Therapy for Insomnia

We all need someone to talk to now and then. Insomnia can be the result of underlying emotional issues, but it can also lead to other complications, such as depression.

Feeling irritable due to a lack of sleep may cause relationship problems, or the inability to concentrate could increase mistakes at work or school. All of these issues create stress, which makes insomnia worse in the long run.

Online therapy is a productive way to deal with the ripple effects of insomnia and its underlying causes. The support you feel throughout the day can greatly impact how you sleep at night. Speaking with an online psychiatrist for insomnia can impact your mental wellness more than you ever imagined.

Medications for Insomnia

Several over-the-counter sleep aids are available, but your therapist may recommend avoiding these medicines until you have had a complete health evaluation and diagnosis. Prescription sleep medications can be effective, but most are considered temporary solutions until the underlying causes of insomnia can be resolved.

Some of the medications approved for sleep aid include:

• Doxepin (Silenor)

• Eszopiclone (Lunesta)

• Ramelteon (Rozerem)

• Suvorexant (Belsomra)

• Temazepam (Restoril)

• Zaleplon (Sonata)

• Zolpidem (Ambien)

The side effects of sleep medication vary and can be serious. They include balance problems, sleepwalking, forgetfulness, and daytime sleepiness. Some are also habit-forming.

Online medication management for insomnia prescriptions can help you avoid potential problems, including interactions with other medications you are already taking.

What Is Online Medication Management for Insomnia?

Poor sleep is known to affect memory and can even cause significant memory loss. Not only does insomnia make it more difficult to perform everyday tasks, but it can also make it more difficult to do the things that improve sleep — like taking insomnia medications as directed.

Online medication management is an extra layer of support for patients who rely on multiple medications to maintain their health.

Any person who takes several daily medications can benefit from online medication management. To start, your online psychiatrist will document your existing medications and review them for accuracy. Before adding any new insomnia medications, they will also check for potential negative drug interactions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that up to half of all prescribed medications are taken incorrectly. That includes incorrect dosage, frequency, duration, and timing.

With medication management, your medications are delivered directly to you with full instructions that lower the risk of underdosing, overdosing, or missing doses.

Taking advantage of online medication management for insomnia or other mental health medications improves care. Patients know exactly when to take which medications, and they don’t have to worry about running out or making late-night trips to the pharmacy.

The risk of drug interactions is lowered, and it’s easier for patients and their providers to assess which medications are helping.

Is There a Cure for Insomnia?

Poor sleep can affect almost every aspect of your life. The good news is that insomnia is a treatable condition. A combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, talk therapy, medication, medication management, and lifestyle changes may be needed to provide consistent improvement. MindRX Group provides all of that and more with the convenience of online services.

If you’re struggling with occasional or chronic insomnia, the professionals at MindRX Group are here to help.