Sleepless in America

Healthy rest, problem sleep, and the dreams and nightmares therein.

John Cline, Ph.D., works at the Sleep Disorders Centers of Connecticut and Waterbury Hospital Regional Sleep Lab. He also teaches psychiatry at Yale University. See full bio

August 17, 2008

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Insomnia

When Representative Patrick Kennedy crashed into a security barricade while driving near the capital in Washington, D.C., on May 4, 1996, he explained that he had been using Ambien, a well known sleeping medication. He said that he had taken the sleeping medication as well as another prescription for gastroenteritis. He later, falsely, believed that he had to be present for a vote in congress and began driving when the accident occurred. Read More

July 28, 2008

Medication Management of Insomnia

Soft, drifting on air, light and beautiful...The Luna moth is now associated in everyone's mind with the sleeping medication Lunesta - the result of a brilliant marketing campaign. Who wouldn't be able to sleep, adrift on a blanket of calm, serene night air? Read More

July 6, 2008

Insomnia

Lying awake, late at night, reliving the negative events of the day and dreading the morning but wishing the night was over is one of the more difficult and yet fairly common experiences of life. This is the experience of insomnia. Read More

June 17, 2008

Can Insomnia Be Fatal?

"I just don't understand it. According to the history given by her friend, she hasn't slept in 8 days and there have been no behavioral indications that she has slept since being admitted. We'll need to get an EEG as part of the work up. "

"Hard to believe, how long can this go on?"

"Well, 10 days without sleep and death ensues..."

June 1, 2008

Things that Go Bump in the Night

Cornelia Collins awoke to an incessant rain of blows. As she fully awakened she saw that her husband was distressed, frightened, and lashing out. Read More

Sleep Basics

For many of us, sleep is the sweet balm that soothes and restores us after a long day of work and play. But for those for whom sleep is elusive or otherwise troubled, the issue is far more fraught. Most people, at some point in their lives, experience difficulty falling asleep.

Go to the Sleep Basics page for more on Sleep including: