Insomniac

How to become sleep savvy.

by Gayle Greene PhD

THE POWER AND PURPOSE OF DREAMS

There's been a lot of talk about sleep lately. When I wrote Insomniac, I felt like a lone voice decrying the dangers of sleep-deprivation, the toll sleep loss takes on our minds, bodies, moods. As any insomniac will tell you (and I interviewed dozens), there's nothing so crucial as sleep for our mental, physical, and social well being. Read More

To Med or Not to Med

As someone who's struggled with insomnia all my life, I face this question on a nightly basis, whether it's better to reach for a sleep med or tough it out without sleep. Advertising assures us that there's little danger from sleep meds, but the scare stories of Michael Jackson and Heath Ledger suggest otherwise. How to sort through the hype and hysteria? Read More

How to Get the Sleep You Need Part 2

"If you can't sleep, get out of bed and do something else"-this is advice we hear all the time. Not for me: when I get up and turn on the light, I'm up for the night. I do much better listening to a recorded book, which lets me lie quietly in the dark but gets my mind onto someone else's story. Read More

How to Get the Sleep You Need

Those of us who have trouble sleeping get tired of hearing the same old advice, the same half dozen rules. We read them everywhere. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and big meals late at night. Don't exercise or engage in stimulating activities near bedtime, such as reading or watching TV in bed. Read More