Insomnia Treatment in India

Ananya Mehta, a 42-year-old senior software...

Ananya Mehta, a 42-year-old senior software engineer and mother of two young children, had been struggling with sleep for nearly a year. Her insomnia began subtly, taking longer to fall asleep, but escalated to waking up at 3 AM every night with a racing mind, unable to return to sleep. She was chronically exhausted, irritable with her family, and making uncharacteristic errors at her demanding job. Her primary care physician in Internal Medicine, Dr. Sharma, diagnosed chronic insomnia after ruling out thyroid issues and anemia. He recommended a multi-faceted approach: strict sleep hygiene (consistent bedtime, no screens), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) to address her anxiety about sleep, and a short-term course of a non-habit-forming sleep aid. Ananya found the CBT-I sessions challenging but enlightening, learning to break the association between her bed and anxiety. The post-procedure recovery was gradual; over 8 weeks, her sleep latency decreased and her early morning awakenings became less frequent. Emotionally, she journeyed from feeling like a failing parent and professional, shrouded in guilt and frustration, to regaining a sense of control and patience. She now describes her sleep as 'restorative' and feels reconnected to her family and work.