New solutions for treating chronic insomnia: an introduction to behavioral sleep medicine.

Insomnia is one of the most frequent complaints brought to primary care physicians and research suggests insomnia's prevalence is on the rise. Insomnia evaluation and treatment can be a time-intensive process that puts significant demands on a busy medical practice. To date, hypnotic medications are the most frequently prescribed treatment for insomnia and have been demonstrated to be efficacious for the treatment of acute insomnia. Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) has been found to be just as effective as hypnotics for the treatment of acute insomnia and more effective for the treatment of chronic insomnia. CBT is now recognized as a first-line intervention for chronic insomnia, yet is underutilized. Many patients and healthcare providers are unaware of the efficacy of CBT for insomnia and currently there are few qualified providers. To address this need, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has developed a new subspeciality to train providers in the provision of CBT for insomnia as well as other sleep disorders.