Insomnia is a classification of sleep disorders in which a person has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early. It is the most commonly reported sleep disorder, affecting a large proportion of the population. Statistics suggest that Some 70 million Americans suffer from chronic or occasional insomnia. Accordingly, the market for insomnia drugs in the U.S. is growing at a phenomenal rate of 29 percent per year, reaching $4.6 billion in 2006 and attracting the attention of a wide range of drug manufacturers.
The immediate side effects of insomnia include fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, daytime tiredness, impaired mood and social functioning, all occurring on the day following a night with insufficient sleep. In various surveys performed among insomnia patients, it was found that many insomniacs complain of being easily upset, irritated or annoyed, being too tired to do things, and having problems remembering. A recent study has also found that Chronic Insomnia Can Lead To Anxiety and Depression.
Until recently, the most common method for treating insomnia has pharmacological, using sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics. Recently, newer short-acting non-benzodiazepines have been found to induce sleep with fewer side effects than benzodiazepines. Non-benzodiazepine hypnotics currently approved in the United States include: zolpidem (Ambien, Ambien CR), zaleplon (Sonata), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and ramelteon (Rozerem). All of these drugs have fewer morning side effects than the benzodiazepines.
But efficient therapy of insomnia has been found to not to be limited only to drugs. New, non-pharmacological ways to cure insomnia have been developed over time, showing great promise, and gaining popularity. Such ways include mainly various behavioral methods, for example relaxation techniques such as progressive relaxation, hypnosis, autogenic training, and biofeedback as well as sets of particular behavioral instructions, such as using the sleep hygiene rules, and the stimulus control method. Recently, sleep restriction therapy shows great promise in effectively treating patients with insomnia.