Curiously, while online sleep therapy is all the rage among insurers, few sleep specialists -- including Twery, Sateia and Kryger -- seemed to be aware of it. A study showing the therapy to be more effective than no treatment was presented at the Sleep Academy's annual meeting last summer -- but it didn't even make it to the meeting blog produced each day.
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Cognitive behavior therapy -- offered online by insurers -- is more effective than pills, an expert says.
MEDICINE
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.
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The NIH's Twery says the agency would be very interested in assessing and refining the programs. "There has been little education about sleep and its significance in the U.S.," he says. "Too many people think their sleep habits are just their own quirkiness and there's nothing they can do to improve them."
"We're on the ground floor . . . moving toward national awareness and strategies," says Janet Croft, a senior epidemiologist at the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC, for example, will be meeting with the NIH and organizations such as the National Sleep Foundation to create a consensus on insomnia public education and treatment.
Sleep experts suggest that patients who are going to try online sleep therapy let their doctors know when they start the program as well as how effective it seems to be.
"If online therapy doesn't work for a particular patient," says Sonia Ancoli-Israel, head of the sleep disorders clinic at UC San Diego, "having the doctor in the loop can mean that another strategy, such as a brief course of medication or face-to-face therapy, can be started promptly."
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health@latimes.com
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Sleep disorders
Insomnia
Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or remain asleep, as well as the condition of waking up not feeling restored or refreshed, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among Americans, according to the foundation. It can be either acute, lasting one to several nights, or chronic, lasting months to years. When insomnia persists for longer than a month, it is considered chronic. Insomnia can be a disorder in its own right, but often it is a symptom of some other disease or condition.
Sleep apnea
