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.