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Article: Can't sleep? Don't self-medicate
- Article from:
- Daily Breeze
- Article date:
- June 16, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2005 Daily Breeze. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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WASHINGTON -- Millions of Americans lie awake at night counting
sheep -- or have a stiff drink or pop an allergy pill, hoping it will
make them drowsy. But experts agree all that self-medicating is a bad
idea, and the causes of chronic insomnia remain mysterious.
Almost a third of adults have trouble sleeping, and about 10
percent have symptoms of daytime impairment that signal true
insomnia.
Sufferers readily cite the resulting problems: Walking around in a
fog, as memory and other cognitive functions slow. Dozing off at the
wheel or at work. Depression. Lack of energy.
But for all the complaints, scientists know surprisingly little
about what causes chronic insomnia, its health ...