Management of the patient with insomnia

Abstract

Insomnia is not a harmless complain and it therefore deserves careful medical attention. It is commonly found in general medical practice and almost every person is afflicted with it at some period of his or her life. This review deals with insomnia as it relates with somatic and mental illnesses, the use of different substances including some drugs, specific habits and the environment; also considered is intrinsic sleep pathology. Several outlines for the etiological study of insomnia are presented and simple measures and procedures for its control are proposed. The indiscriminated use of benzodiazepines is questioned: to avoid favoring or maintaining adictions physicians should be very careful in prescribing them. The importance of natural sleep for physical and mental well-being and for obtaining an entirely physlological functioning is emphasized.