ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the diagnostic features, prevalence rates, and clinical course of Insomnia Disorder and reviews the consequences and burden of this condition. It describes sleep disorders for which there are efficacious evidence-based psychological behavioural interventions. Historically, Insomnia was often overlooked in people living with a psychiatric disorder as being ‘just another symptom’ of the person’s condition. Insomnia is the most prevalent of all sleep disorders and is one of the most common reasons people present to their primary care physician. The mental health consequences of Insomnia include increased risk of developing depression, mania, anxiety, and substance misuse problems in individuals without a pre-existing psychiatric condition. Common treatment approaches for delayed sleep phase include the use of oral melatonin in the evening and exposure to bright light in the morning, with either sunlight or artificial bright light therapy.
