Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on "Healthwatch," we're focusing on mental health, an important component of overall well-being. Sleep closely links mental and physical health. Mental or emotional difficulties can cause you to lose sleep, which, in turn, can cause stress and make you less alert.
Sleep experts at UT Southwestern say insomnia is generally defined as regularly spending more than 15 percent of the time you're in bed at night awake - that's 72 minutes for an 8-hour night. If this kind of wakefulness continues for several weeks or months, it's best to seek help rather than let it continue.
There are behavioral treatments as well as medications that can help you get over insomnia.
Next on "Healthwatch," we'll talk about depression.
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Jan. 2005
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