Characteristics of individuals who do or do not seek treatment for chronic insomnia.

Survey data have shown that a minority of people who complain of insomnia receive medical treatment for this problem. Patients who seek treatment for insomnia at medical clinics and sleep disorders centers are a self-selected group who may not be representative of all individuals with insomnia. Fifty patients presenting to a sleep disorders center with an insomnia complaint were compared to 50 subjects with insomnia recruited through the newspaper for psychopharmacological studies. No differences in sleep parameters were found, but significant differences on psychometric measures and in daytime alertness were present. The implications of these differences are discussed.