Some people keep a paper and pen by their bedside table and jot down notes about problems when they wake up at night. Severe stress may require other measures, experts say. For instance, they can try to learn to control their thoughts or practice relaxation exercises when they wake up at night. Sometimes behavioral techniques are combined with taking sleeping pills for a short while, he says. For people with chronic insomnia, these behavioral strategies may need to be learned with a psychologist or psychiatrist, Walsh says.
Prescription drugs can play a role in treating some insomniacs, doctors say.
Some people avoid sleeping pills because they're afraid they're habit-forming, but there is little evidence that people will become addicted or dependent, Walsh says. The majority of people take sleeping medication for 30 to 60 days a year or less, when they are in a time of stress. People don't tend to escalate the doses or have withdrawal symptoms when they stop using them. While insomnia hits some people particularly hard when they are under stress, others say they wake up even when they're not under a great deal of stress. Such is the case for Van Veldhuizen.