The vicious circle in insomnia treatment

Abstract Insomnia is a prevalent problem in society today that affects many areas of a patient’s life. Insomnia can be categorised as primary or secondary insomnia, as well as physical or psychological based on the causes of the disorders. Lack of sleep leads to many consequences such as more frequent accidents, absence from work and the risk of comorbidities like depression or anxiety disorders. There are many treatment options for insomnia including pharmacological and non-pharmacological. The main pharmacological treatment includes benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine receptor agonists. Their use is limited to the treatment of acute insomnia because of their addictive potential. The preferred treatment for chronic sleep disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy; however not every patient has the opportunity to consider it due to availability, cost and the need for commitment. Despite of the well-known pathomechanism of insomnia, choosing the appropriate treatment is challenging because of the limitations of each treatment option.