Behavioral treatment of insomnia.

Insomnia is a prevalent and potentially serious condition that compromises the functioning, health status and quality of lives of millions of individuals worldwide. Chronic insomnia is often perpetuated by psychological and behavioral factors, such as dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, heightened anxiety and sleep-disruptive compensatory practices. Whereas sedative hypnotic medications are often prescribed for this condition, such treatment is symptom-focused and fails to address underlying factors sustaining the sleep problems. In contrast, behavioral insomnia therapies are specifically designed to address these perpetuating mechanisms. This article describes the main behavioral treatment approaches and their efficacy in treating insomnia. Current literature concerning treatment implementation factors (cost-effectiveness; treatment accessibility, delivery and dosage; patient response and adherence) is reviewed.