Can the Internet Provide a Cure For Insomnia?
Millions of us suffer from chronic insomnia, yet so few therapists are trained to provide help and advice. Now the medical journal, the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests that on-line therapy may have as much effect as face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy. So could these online treatments provide the potential to ease the pressure? “In many ways, they have advantages over face-to-face care, certainly in the ability to reach larger audiences and reduce travel time,” says Lee Ritterband, a psychologist at the University of Virginia Health System, who’s findings were published in the July issue of the Archive. “We’re talking about the most common mental health problem, probably the world,” says Colin Espie, director of the University of Glasgow Sleep Centre. “But less than half of people with insomnia mention it to their doctors.” But there are so many insomnia cures online, which do you choose? “Avoid the general, non-specific cures. Be wary of anything that is an off-the-shel
