| Summary: | Edward J. Stepanski talks with a woman with an 18-year history of getting 4-5 hours of broken sleep. This pattern began after her husband had a serious accident at work and tends to be worse when she is stressed. She also experiences very intense dreams that often make her question if what she dreamed actually happened. In addition, she describes herself as an anxious person who worries about everything. Stepanski assesses her usual bed time and wake time; her sleep and wake patterns during the night; any current medical issues; her anxiety and depression levels; her appetite; alcohol and caffeine intake; and frequency of intrusive thoughts. He provides several behavioral strategies to improve her sleep pattern, including setting up a sleep schedule to attempt to get 6 hours of continuous sleep; avoiding watching TV in the bedroom; and learning some relaxation exercises.
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