The typical profile of these patients is that of a woman over 65 years of age and with health problems, according to an expert in Sleep Medicine.

Insomnia is becoming an increasingly widespread phenomenon, to such an extent that experts estimate that 30 percent of the general population suffers from it. The reasons given by Francisco Segarra, of the Estivill Sleep Clinic in Barcelona: the aging of the population and the current pace of life.

The specialist pointed out that more and more Andalusians are turning to pharmacies for advice on how to remedy their sleep problems. As for the typical profile of these patients, he indicated that it coincides with that of a woman over 65 years of age and with health problems, although he clarified that insomnia is very prevalent at any age, as he warned that another group very susceptible to this problem are adults with a high pace of work and family responsibilities.

According to the specialist, the recommendations for an adequate sleep are to go to bed and get up regularly at the same time, to have a light dinner and to practice moderate exercise during the day. Similarly, he advocated avoiding the intake of stimulants “such as coffee or tea”, not drinking too many liquids before going to bed and, above all, reserving the last hours of the afternoon for pleasant and relaxing activities.

If these measures are insufficient, he stressed that the use of ‘hypnotic’ drugs can be useful for occasional insomnia, although he pointed out that, if the problem becomes chronic, “a different treatment should be applied and the patient should be referred to a specialist to try to identify the causes of the problem”.