Insomnia and sleep treatment in Houston & across Texas

What do insomnia and sleep problems actually look like?

Nighttime arrives and you start building up anxiety, with a feeling of dread rather than a pleasant one. It takes you a long time to get to sleep, often more than 30 minutes, and on many occasions it is hours before you are able to fall asleep. This frustrates you and does not contribute to a pleasant feeling of rest when you wake up in the morning.

Some people get to sleep within 20 minutes but often wake up many times in the middle of the night, also feeling unrested the next day. People who do not sleep well also tend to have irritability, worsening of underlying depression or anxiety, difficulty thinking clearly and a lack of focus, and are more likely to make mistakes at work. You are also more prone to getting sick and lacking energy.

At Tentie Psychiatry we make sure to carefully assess your sleep and how it affects your daily life, and to understand you as a person, in order to provide the most accurate assessment of your situation and to offer the best treatment possible.

When is it time to see a psychiatrist?

• You have had difficulties sleeping at night for weeks, months or years.
• You have not slept at all in the last 2-3 days (this might also be part of another medical or psychiatric condition and could require more urgent care).
• You wake up in the morning and do not feel rested, although the clock says you probably slept enough.
• You or someone else has noticed that you wake up frequently in the middle of the night, or that it takes you very long to get to sleep.
• You cannot sleep without taking an over-the-counter medication or other prescribed medications.
• You lack energy and feel irritable and sleepy throughout the day.

Treatment options

Several medications have good response evidence for the treatment of insomnia. Sleep aids are available over the counter or as prescription medications. Psychotherapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I) has strong independent evidence for the long-term treatment of insomnia.

The goal of treatment is to help you get to sleep, sleep through the night and feel rested.

The right choice of medication depends on a careful review of your history and of previous medication trials with good outcomes or unwanted adverse effects. Good sleep hygiene, physical activity and a proper diet are good additions for a more restful sleep.

All treatment options are carefully reviewed with you, and you will have ample time and understanding to make the right decisions without feeling pressured.