ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Insomnia is, by far, the most commonly encountered sleep disorder in medical practice. Its prevalence varies considerably based on the definition used. While one-fourth to one-third of the general population reports a complaint of difficulty falling and/or staying asleep, about 10% present chronic complaints and seek medical help for insomnia (1-11). However, insomnia has always been and still is an underrecognized and therefore undertreated problem, since about 60% of the people suffering from insomnia never discuss their sleeping difficulties with their physicians (12,13).
