Please note - this EPG Insomnia Knowledge Centre is for Doctors and other Health Care Professionals.

Insomnia is a very common and debilitating disease with major morbidity and social consequences. Despite the negative impact on the ability to function well during the day, insomnia is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Insomnia is therefore, important to treat. However, treatment has been difficult due to concerns over current treatment options, both from a patient and physician perspective.

Various methods are used to monitor the different stages of sleep. Sleep is not homogenous – its structure, characterised by a sequence of sleep stages, is referred to as ‘sleep architecture’

Traditionally insomnia has been diagnosed on the basis of quantity of sleep

• Sleep latency (time taken to get to sleep)
• Sleep duration (length of time spent asleep)

While it is important not to ignore quantity of sleep, epidemiological surveys show that poor quality of sleep has a greater negative impact on health, well-being and satisfaction with life than the quantity of sleep a person gets.^1,2

Hormones released in the body are involved in certain aspects of homeostasis, including regulating the circadian rhythms established by the SCN of the hypothalamus. Melatonin is an endocrine hormone that is principally produced and released into the blood by the pineal gland. The levels of melatonin fluctuate according to light exposure (highest during darkness and sleep, and lowest in bright sunlight) and it is proposed that melatonin acts as a time ‘cue’, entraining the body’s circadian rhythm to conventional environmental patterns.

Although behavioural and psychological factors have been shown to play an important causative role in many sleep disorders, non-pharmacological/behavioural approaches are underused in the management of these conditions.^3,4

A number of resources for both patients and physicians are avaliable within this Insomnia website.

Enter the Insomnia Knowledge Centre

What’s in this Insomnia Knowledge Centre?

Home | Insomnia | Types | Characterisation | Classification | Diagnosis | Prevalence | Impact of Insomnia | Understanding Sleep | Monitoring Sleep | Sleep Architecture | Sleep cycle stages |  Function of Sleep | Neurobiology of Sleep | Melatonin | Treatment Options | Non- pharmacological | Sleep Hygiene Education | Cognitive Therapy |  Alternative Therapies | Melatonin receptor agonists | Circadin | Assessment Tools | Benzodiazepine receptor agonists | Antidepressants | Non prescription medications | Resources | Downloads for Patients | Useful Weblinks | FAQ | Abbreviations | Journal Abstracts

References:
1. Zammit GK, Weiner J, Damato N et al. Quality of life in people with insomnia. Sleep 1999; 22 Suppl 2: S379-85
2. Pilcher JJ. Sleep quality versus sleep quantity: relationships between sleep and measures of health, well-being and sleepiness in college students. J Psychosom Res. 1997; 42(6): 583-96
3. National Institute of Health. NIH State of the Science Conference statement on manifestations and management of chronic insomnia in adults statement. J Clin Sleep Med 2005; 1 (4): 412–421.
4. Subramanian S, Surani S. Sleep disorders in the elderly. Geriatrics 2007; 62 (12): 10–32.