Via practica 2/2024
Modern therapeutic modalities in insomnia
Insomnia in various forms is among the most common complaints that bring patients to the offices of general practitioners and specialists. Prevalence studies indicate the incidence of insomnia in the adult population in a wide range of 6.2-40 % per calendar year. Advances in sleep neurobiology research reveal new cognitive and neurophysiological models of the etiopathogenesis of insomnia. Modern recommended guidelines in the treatment of insomnia emphasize the need to gradually take the steps in the therapy from less burdensome and mainly non-pharmacological interventions to pharmacological treatment. The primary treatment intervention should be psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy with a module developed specifically for the treatment of insomnia. When non-pharmacological interventions fail, a wide range of drugs can be used. There is also a shift away from traditional and widely used 3rd generation hypnotics towards non-addictive alternative options including modern resynchronization therapy using synthetic melatonin.
