Health insurers are sometimes better known for causing sleepless nights than for creating restful ones, but in the last few months, helping consumers get a good night's sleep has become a priority for most of the top-tier U.S. health insurance companies, including WellPoint, Aetna, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente and several Blue Cross plans.
Their new programs don't involve sleeping pills. Instead, insurers are advocating the use of cognitive behavior therapy. Traditionally, the therapy has been done largely through face-to-face sessions, but many of the programs are now available online.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday, December 19, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 53 words Type of Material: Correction
Insomnia treatment: An article in the Nov. 3 Health section about online therapy for insomnia was incorrect in saying that a blog for the annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine did not refer to the therapy. The blog did in fact refer to a study about online therapy for insomnia.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Monday, December 22, 2008 Home Edition Health Part F Page 5 Features Desk 1 inches; 53 words Type of Material: Correction
Insomnia treatment: An article in the Nov. 3 Health section about online therapy for insomnia was incorrect in saying that a blog for the annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine did not refer to the therapy. The blog did in fact refer to a study about online therapy for insomnia.
Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia is far superior to sleep medications, says Meir H. Kryger, director of sleep medicine at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, Conn., and chairman of the National Sleep Foundation, a consumer education group. "It can actually cure the insomnia -- not just treat it as medicines do -- without the side effects, such as daytime sleepiness or dizziness, that can occur with even the newest sleeping pills."
Why would health insurers, often tight-fisted for even life-saving treatments, be so quick to cover the cost of a few extra Zs? "To reduce the tens of millions they're spending on sleeping pills each year, as well as improve medical conditions that may be caused by a lack of sleep," says Helen Darling, head of the National Business Group on Health in Washington, D.C., which advises large employers on health cost issues.
About 50 million to 70 million people in the U.S. suffer from various forms of insomnia (such as having a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, and waking up too soon), according to the National Institutes of Health. And for about 20 million of those sufferers, nighttime insomnia affects their daytime hours as well -- making it hard to stay awake or concentrate, Kryger says. Insomnia of all kinds has been linked to an increased risk of a variety of medical problems, including high blood pressure and depression, accidents and lowered productivity at work.
"Mounting evidence indicates that sleep may be as important as diet and physical activity [for a] healthy lifestyle," says Michael Twery, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, a division of the NIH. "Getting a good night's sleep is necessary for optimal cardiovascular and metabolic health. Insufficient sleep affects the way we see the world, mood, performance, vigilance, awareness, ability to perceive our environment and [how we] respond to challenges."
