Q&A: Ask the doctor

Dear Doctor,I am a 26 year old working lady with no children or anything stressful besides my job –which isn’t too stressful either.However, I suffer from insomnia. I can hardly sleep most nights and stay awake till four in the morning. I am thinking of taking piriton because I have heard that it helps people sleep. Would you advise me to take piriton or is there anything else I can take instead to help me overcome this problem?Charlotte Kundwa, Kicukiro ---------------------------------------------Dear Charlotte,You have not specified how long you have had this problem? Was there any fever, sickness or traumatic event before the problem started? As such, hours of sleep are extremely variable for each individual depending on one’s life style and conditioning of the body and mind. A good sleep is the one where you feel fresh after waking up.Sometimes there may not be stress at present, but stressful events of the past tend to haunt one, resulting in insomnia. Due to change of place or travelling, sleep is disrupted for people. Drinking hot tea or coffee tends to prevent sleep as they are stimulants of the brain. Taking a heavy meal just before sleeping can also disturb sleep by causing abdominal discomfort. Wearing uncomfortable clothes in the night may prevent sleep. Watching television or movies till late evening excites the mind and can cause insomnia.Taking piriton, is certainly not a solution. This is an anti allergy drug which causes somnolence as an adverse effect. If excess somnolence is caused, one may feel lethargic during the day time also. It is like getting drugged in a way.Avoid sleeping in the day time or even taking a nap. Try having an early dinner at least 1 hour before sleeping. Avoid taking tea or coffee late in the evening. Do not watch T.V or videos for hours in the evening. The night clothes should be lose and comfortable and preferably of cotton. Nylon clothes tend to stick to the body and hence become physically uncomfortable, preventing sleep in people who are very sensitive.You need to fix a time table for your sleep and condition your mind for that. As far as possible, go to bed at a fixed time every night. The best measure said to induce good sleep is to meditate for a short time before sleeping. If you find that difficult, try doing slow and deep breathing from 20 to maybe 100 times. This is also said to induce sleep. If you like reading, you can read a good book or magazine after getting into the bed. While you are engrossed in the book, you shall sleep automatically after getting exhausted. After adopting these measures and being regular with them, you are bound to get good sleep at the right time.If you still need assistance, you can take a mild dose of a tablet like diazepam 2 mg. for a week or so at a fixed time. But remember it should be taken when you are in your bed and absolutely free. After taking diazepam, if you indulge in activities when the effect starts, it can cause unpleasant headache and restlessness. This is an addictive drug hence do not take it for a long time. Dr. Rachna Pande