Managing insomnia efficiently

Abstract

Insomnia remains a common clinical concern that is associated with negative daytime consequences for patients and represents a significant public health problem. The reported prevalence of insomnia is 9% in the general population and about 30% suffer from occasional insomnia. The medications approved for treating insomnia represent 4 fundamental pharmacodynamic categories with key actions related to receptors for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), melatonin, histamine, or orexin/hypocretin. Addiction and insomnia frequently co-exist, as lack of sleep creates multiple physical and emotional issues that some individuals will attempt to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol.