ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Insomnia is now widely recognized as one of the major complaints associated with numerous psychological and physical diseases in the general population and in primary care patients around the world (1-4). Despite insomnia’s high prevalence, it is still frequently unrecognized as a serious health threat by health professionals. One challenge is the fact that insomnia is frequently considered as a symptom, rather than as a true disease, and it is not clear to practitioners whether it is a symptom or a disease. Another challenge is that it is often difficult for patients and for health professionals to understand when insomnia is severe enough to require a treatment. In addition, there is still insufficient knowledge about the management of insomnia. In the last decade, several consensus meetings about insomnia and its recognition, diagnosis, and treatment have published recommendations (5-10). All these consensus groups have underlined the effect of insomnia on public health and the need to better encompass the consequences of insomnia on work, economics, and health-related quality of life (QOL).
