Wake up to insomnia: future approaches to the management of insomnia

Abstract

Mohammad Tahir Hussain, Steven A. SheaDivision of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USAInsomnia is rife. Acutely, almost every individual has experienced a poor night’s sleep, and many short-term remedies for insomnia are tried, including over-the-counter sleep aids and alcohol. Chronic insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, affecting nearly 40 million Americans and accounting for nearly one-third of adults. The annual cost associated with this disorder in the US is estimated at over $15 billionand over $100 billion for indirect costs, such as costs of self-medication, health care-related costs due to exacerbations of comorbid conditions, and costs of reduced productivity.