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“Isn’t there a pill I can take that will knock me out?” Tara is a hard-working and successful businesswoman in her 50s. She started having trouble sleeping three years ago. She often takes one of the “PM” pain relievers to knock herself out when she gets exasperated from staring at the ceiling for hours every night. These drugs also keep her from waking up three times a night to urinate. But she doesn’t like feeling hung over the next day. Surely the magic pill she used to see advertised on TV is what she needs.
A combination of standard medical practice and advertising have conditioned Americans to seek out magic pills for every symptom of dysfunction we experience, whether it’s insomnia, depression, heartburn, pain, constipation, hyperactivity, incontinence, fatigue, or anything else. If one drug doesn’t do the trick, there’s a stronger one. If the side effects of one drug are intolerable, we can try a different drug with slightly different side effects. In the case of sleep drugs, unfortunately, all the emphasis has been focused on knocking us out.
But is sleep nothing more than several hours of unconsciousness? Of course not. Aside from providing physical and mental energy for the new day, sleep is when the body goes to work repairing the damage that occurs to cells during the daytime. It’s when the brain cleans out toxins and moves new information from short- into long-term memory. It strengthens the immune system to fight infections. Healthy sleep is necessary for weight loss, blood sugar control, stress response, growth, metabolism, and sex hormone production. It improves blood pressure and lowers risk of heart disease and stroke. People who do not get enough healthy sleep tend to have more irritability, anxiety, depression, cancer, and dementia.
Unfortunately, knockout drugs—including prescription drugs, alcohol, and over-the-counter “PM” medicines—do not facilitate these processes. At the same time, they have side effects and risks that you might consider unacceptable, such as memory loss, poor coordination, confusion, sleepwalking, addiction, dementia, and even increased risk of suicide.
A more sensible approach to insomnia involves identifying and addressing environmental factors, behaviors, and dysfunctions that impair healthy sleep. In Tara’s case, her sympathetic nervous system (SNS) was dominant, preventing her conscious brain from shutting off at night. Hormone levels plummeted when she entered menopause, triggering insomnia both directly, as well as indirectly through night sweats and urinary dysfunction. She left her Wi-Fi router on at night, unknowingly bombarding herself with harmful electromagnetic fields all night, which reduces total sleep time, increases arousals, and decreases sleep quality. Finally, Tara watched movies on her tablet to wind down just before bedtime, not realizing that the blue light emitted from the screen blocked the production of melatonin, a hormone that is critical for sleep.
Tara discovered that she didn’t need to take a drug for the rest of her life. She also learned that her insomnia wasn’t caused by a single factor, but rather, a perfect storm of factors. The good news for Tara was that, by addressing each of the identified contributing factors, she experienced a cascade of side benefits instead of side effects. By getting natural, quality sleep, she experienced improved energy. Not longer took naps during the daytime. She discovered that her husband and teenage daughter weren’t as irritating as they had been. Her boss seemed nicer. Her anxiety diminished and mood improved. Her performance at work improved. Moreover, by rebalancing her autonomic nervous system, restoring healthy hormone levels, reducing her EMF exposure, and producing more melatonin, many other annoying symptoms improved, AND her risks of numerous diseases we typically associate with aging went down dramatically. Win-win!
But you don’t always have to see a functional medicine specialist to improve your sleep. There are a number of things you can try first, which may solve your problem. Get back to the basics:
• Teach your brain that your bedroom is for sleep, not reading, watching TV, or listening to music.
• Avoid heavy meals & limit fluid intake near bedtime.
• Avoid melatonin-lowering substances, including caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco.
• Avoid stimulants—including ADHD drugs and OTC decongestants—and medications—including some antidepressants—that may be contributing to insomnia. Consider replacing offending drugs with treatments that actually address what is causing your sinus congestion, attention deficit, depression, anxiety, etc.
• Engage in regular exercise in the evening, but not within 3 hours of bedtime.
• Eliminate noise, light, and excessive heat or cold from the bedroom.
• Take a hot bath before bedtime.
• Dim the lighting in your environment for 2 hours prior to bedtime to tell your brain it’s time to wind down and make more melatonin.
• Avoid screens for 2 hours prior to bedtime. If you must look at a phone, tablet, or television, wear blue light-blocking glasses and use the “Night Shift” (iPhone) or “Night Light”/”Blue Light Filter” (Android) setting on your phone to reduce exposure further.
• Attach a timer to your wi-fi router so that wi-fi turns off at bedtime and comes back on when it’s time for you to get up.
• Turn all phones on “airplane mode” at bedtime. You can still use your phone as your alarm clock. If you need to be able to take calls during the night, move your phone outside your bedroom or as far from your body as possible.
• Any light in the room blocks the production of melatonin, which is important both for keeping you asleep and stimulating repair of damaged tissues during sleep. Cover up appliance and charger lights. If you need a night light, make sure it is red.
• Dedicate a few minutes to review the day’s events in another room before going to bed so you don’t have to solve all your problems while you sleep.
• Avoid third shift work if at all possible, and maintain consistent times for going to bed and waking up.
 If you think about it, you’ll realize that everything that contributes to healthy sleep involves winding the clock back ~130 years, at least at nighttime. Like most of the ailments from which Americans suffer today, insomnia is overwhelmingly a modern problem. This is not to say it didn’t exist two centuries ago; only that it has become endemic as a result of what we have done to ourselves as a society. The good news is that you can reduce much of it on your own.
Fortunately, too, when your own efforts come up short in producing that good night’s sleep that you deserve, you have at your disposal a number of tools that can help. Again, depending on what is causing your insomnia, you may benefit from high-dose melatonin, HPA suppression, hormone replacement, neurofeedback, calming herbs, autonomic rebalancing, brain chemistry evaluation and treatment, peptide therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, ozone therapy, SoftWave, laser, an oral appliance, etc.
If all of these options sound confusing or overwhelming, take heart: you don’t have to figure this out. Instead, take hope in realizing there are solutions to your problem. One size does not fit all, and it’s not just in your head. While the approach of simply taking a pill at bedtime is quite appealing, it completely ignores reality. The cause (or causes) of your insomnia is unique to you, so it only makes sense that its proper treatment will be customized for you. So if you’re tired of the drugs, unable to make D-I-Y work for you, or just want to get back to sleeping in a healthy way, call (435) 259-4466 to schedule a consultation.
It’s not just how you feel that’s at stake. Nor is it just how long you will live. It’s how healthy and vital you will live as you get older that’s at stake. Don’t underestimate the importance of good, unmedicated sleep.
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April is recognized as Stress Awareness Month, a time to reflect on how stress impacts health and explore ways to manage it effectively. Stress is a natural response to challenges, but it can harm physical and mental well-being when it becomes chronic. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 77% of Americans report experiencing stress that affects their physical health, while 73% report stress impacting their mental health.
The Impact of Stress on Health
Chronic stress has been linked to numerous health issues, including:
Heart disease: Prolonged stress increases blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular problems.
Immune system dysfunction: Stress weakens the immune response, making individuals more susceptible to illness.
Mental health concerns: High-stress levels are a major contributor to anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
Sleep problems: Stress often disrupts sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and decreased focus.
Reducing Stress and Improving Health
Managing stress is essential for overall well-being. Here are some proven strategies to help reduce stress:
Exercise regularly. Physical activity boosts endorphins, which naturally improve mood and reduce stress.
Practice mindfulness or meditation. Mindfulness techniques can help people stay grounded and calm in challenging moments.
Connect with others. Spending time with friends, family, or support groups fosters emotional resilience.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated, and prioritizing sleep help the body cope with stress.
Seek professional help. Mental health providers can offer tools and support to manage stress and improve coping skills.
Resources at Moab Regional Hospital
Moab Regional Hospital’s mental health providers offer a confidential, non-judgmental environment for individuals of all ages, including children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and older adults. They work with clients from all walks of life to address stress and other concerns. To schedule an appointment, call 435-719-5531.
For those facing substance use challenges, the Moab Regional Recovery Center provides outpatient services for drug and alcohol detox, recovery resources, and treatment for substance use disorder. Call 435-719-3970 for assistance.
Additional Support
If stress becomes overwhelming or leads to feelings of hopelessness, help is available:
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255
Red Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 888-628-9454
Stress is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to control it. By taking proactive steps and seeking help when needed, individuals can lead healthier, more balanced lives.
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We’re conducting our 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to better understand local healthcare needs and improve services. A key part of this effort is a community-wide survey, and we’d love your support in getting the word out!