Helpful approaches to insomnia

Insomnia can be caused by multiple factors and may require a longer appointment, but family doctors don’t always have the time. If the issue is not addressed, overreliance on sleep aids can lead to patient dependency and poor sleep can lead to substance use, as well as decreased productivity and mood. Listen to this session as our panelists discuss experiences treating insomnia with non-pharmaceutical methods (ex. Cognitive behavioral therapy) and relaxation techniques. Panelists provide a treatment algorithm and share what other options one should try after melatonin and trazodone. Panelists: Chris Frank, Care of the Elderly focused-practice physician, Queen’s University and Providence Care Hospital; Steering Committee Member, Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario; Committee Member, Older Adult Advisory Committee of Mental Health Commission Marcia Kostenuik, Medical Psychotherapist focused on Physician Health, Physician Coach, Speaker, Parenting and Relationship Coach, Psychotherapy Teacher at the University of Toronto Family Medicine Teaching Unit, Barrie, ON; Peer guide, Practising Well Peer Connect Program, Ontario College of Family Physicians; Member of the Board of Directors, Medical Psychotherapy Association of Canada Purti Papneja, Family Physician and Assistant Professor, Sunnybrook Academic Family Health team, Department  of Family and Community Medicine; Sleep Consultant, Ellesmere Sleep Disorder Clinic, Toronto, ON Co-host: Nikki Bozinoff, Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Physician, Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Moderator: Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON This event originally took place on August 23, 2003. A video recording can be viewed here.