Those expensive sleeping pills may not really help you get a good night’s sleep.
Alex Abreau is a doctor specializing in sleep disorders at the University of Miami. "The reality is the more you take, the more dependent you become from those medications,” Abreau says. “And you come to a point in your life that you're going to have to look back and say what else am I going to do because my sleeping pill is not actually working any more."
Abreau has some tips for cheaper, better sleep: "Try to have a very nice bedroom that's comfortable, very dark, that you kept the temperature that's appropriate for your quality of sleep, if you need a blanket or something that will comfort you, it would be great."
Abreau also recommends eliminating distractions. “Have the least that you can inside of a bedroom. Meaning no TVs, no computer, no stimuli.”
These tips are all part of what sleep specialists call cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which involves changing the behaviors that are keeping you from sleeping.
The best way to learn CBT is from a sleep specialist, either individually or in a group setting. But if you can't afford it, take an online course for as little as 25 bucks. Or read about it free.
According to experts like Dr. Abreau, CBT isn't only the most effective thing you can do, it's also often the least expensive.
