Sections
Insomnia | Benzodiazepine Hypnotics | Nonbenzodiazepine Hypnotics | Sedative Antihistamines and Other Nonbenzodiazepine
Psychoactive Drugs With Hypnotic Properties | Barbiturates | Nonbarbiturate Hypnotics | Methaqualone | Over-the-Counter Sleeping Agents | General Conclusions | Bibliography
Excerpt
Insomnia is generally defined
as a difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or a poor quality
of sleep. Insomnia may be primary or secondary to other conditions
such as depression, anxiety, mania, or substance abuse. Primary insomnia
appears to be uncommon relative to secondary insomnia. Various population
surveys have found self-reported rates of symptoms of insomnia in
about a third of adults. About 10% of the U.S. population
report having experienced symptoms of chronic insomnia that may
have lasted for many years. However a smaller percentage of patients
have insomnia with significant daytime impairment. According to
the "NIH State of the Science Conference Statement on Manifestations
and Management of Chronic Insomnia in Adults Statement" (2005),
perhaps 10% of the population has clinically significant
insomnia if the criterion of daytime impairment is included in the
criteria. Women and older adults appear to be the demographic groups
at greatest risk for significant insomnia, but of course transient
insomnia can affect anyone.