ABSTRACT
The impact of sleep disorders on the individual and society can be enormous. Whether it be insomnia, nightmares, daytime sleepiness, or even snoring, virtually every human has been affected by sleep disturbances to some degree. Consider that just insomnia (the single most common sleep complaint) affects one third of Americans in the general population on any given night. In clinical settings, estimates indicate that one half of patients are affected (NIH, 2005). High prevalence rates have also been found globally (Soldatos, Allaert, Ohta, & Dikeos, 2005). With annual health costs estimated to be tens of billions of dollars and associated quality-of-life issues, insomnia has awakened the general public and the healthcare community to a new “epidemic.”
