Have your ever had trouble falling asleep? Or do you wake up and just lie there frustrated, worried about not getting enough sleep? Did you know that lack of sleep is associated with weight gain, poor performance in school and motor vehicle accidents? And what do the pharmaceutical companies offer as the solution? Pills!

Of course drugs have their place. But sleeping medication is actually medically indicated for very short-term use, when life situations disrupt sleep. Long term they are often addictive and withdrawal from these drugs may cause insomnia.

Even though we may believe in "better living through chemistry," the truth is that your brain can make many of its own pharmaceuticals. You have a healthy drug store between your ears. Do you want a dose of morphine, Prozac or valium? You can manufacture chemicals with these benefits—free and with no side effects!

Is this also true for sleeping medication? Scientific research has consistently shown the power of the mind as more beneficial in the long term than medication. The NIH Consensus Panel concluded that mind-technologies, such as self-hypnosis, produce significant changes in the quality and quantity of sleep. This approach is superior to medication in the long term, is useful in withdrawing people from chronic sleeping pill use, is effective for children and seniors and helps with hot-flash sleep disturbances.

With self-hypnosis you can easily learn to turn down your busy brain, quickly drop worries and totally relax away tension… drifting off to sleep. The five minute technique takes just an hour to learn, a few weeks to master and a life-time to enjoy.

Kathy Doner, MD is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician and Certified Hypnotherapist with offices in Melbourne and Sebastian. Read more about the research and how you can help yourself to have a better night’s sleep at www.KathyDonerMD.com/insomnia. Dr. Doner will be teaching a workshop on "Self-Hypnosis for Insomnia: It’s a Skill, Not a Pill!" on Wednesday, April 23, 6:30-8:30pm, Sebastian River Medical Center, $25, with Sleep CD’s available. Seating is limited. Pre-register by calling 772-581-0221 or on-line www.KathyDonerMD.com, click on "workshops."