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. 2021 Jan-Dec:12:21501327211014084.
doi: 10.1177/21501327211014084.

Why Treat Insomnia?

Michael L Perlis  1 , Wilfred R Pigeon  2   3 , Michael A Grandner  2   3 , Todd M Bishop  2   3 , Dieter Riemann  4 , Jason G Ellis  5 , Joseph R Teel  1 , Donn A Posner  6
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Why Treat Insomnia?

Michael L Perlis et al. J Prim Care Community Health. 2021 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

"Why treat insomnia?" This question grows out of the perspective that insomnia is a symptom that should only receive targeted treatment when temporary relief is needed or until more comprehensive gains may be achieved with therapy for the parent or precipitating medical or psychiatric disorders. This perspective, however, is untenable given recent data regarding the prevalence, course, consequences, and costs of insomnia. Further, the emerging data that the treatment of insomnia may promote better medical and mental health (alone or in combination with other therapies) strongly suggests that the question is no longer "why treat insomnia," but rather "when isn't insomnia treatment indicated?" This perspective was recently catalyzed with the American College of Physicians' recommendation that chronic insomnia should be treated and that the first line treatment should be cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

Keywords: insomnia; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dr. Perlis and Dr. Posner regular conduct insomnia treatment training programs and have published books on this subject.

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