Routine Patient Care Should Include Sleep Concerns

In order to effectively treat insomnia, family physicians and other practitioners should beon the front line of medical care, according to report published in the Lancet (November 27,2004). Researcher Michael Sateia, MD, recommended that physicians, psychologists, andnurses ask patients about sleep problems as part of routine patient care. Current statisticsshowed that between 5% and 35% of the population has insomnia. Although medication forinsomnia is common, research on its effectiveness has been minimal, said Dr. Sateia.

Many challenges remain in the characterization, recognition, and treatment of insomnia,"he said. "Future research must expand our knowledge of the biological dimensions, as wellas behavioral aspects, of the disorder."