* Insomnia is a condition characterized by poor quality or quantity of sleep, despite adequate opportunity to sleep, which could lead to daytime functional impairment.

* Many medical and psychiatric conditions may be responsible for causing insomnia.
» Read more: Insomnia At A Glance

Insomnia overall has a favorable outlook. Many cases of insomnia are related to transient situational stresses and are easily reversed when the situation is resolved. In cases of long-standing (chronic) insomnia, any medical or psychiatric cause needs to be assessed and treated.
» Read more: What is the outlook for insomnia?

The main classes of medications used to treat insomnia are the sedatives and hypnotics, such as the benzodiazepines and the non-benzodiazepine sedatives.

Several medications in the benzodiazepine class have been used successfully for the treatment of insomnia, and the most common ones include:
» Read more: What medications are used to treat insomnia?

Sleep restriction refers another non-medical behavioral therapy for insomnia which involves limiting the time spent in bed for sleeping only. Many people with insomnia may stay in bed for a long time after they wake up in the morning. This over-sleeping may disrupt the circadian rhythm and make sleep initiation more difficult the following night.
» Read more: What is sleep restriction?

Stimulus control refers to techniques used to help with initiating sleep. These techniques are used to induce an environment in the bedroom that promotes sleep. Some simple steps include:

* Use the bed only for having sex and sleeping, not working, reading, watching TV, eating, or other mentally stimulating activities.
» Read more: How can stimulus control help with insomnia?

Sleep hygiene is one of the components of non-medical treatments for insomnia and includes simple steps that may improve initiation and maintenance of sleep. Sleep hygiene consists of the following strategies:

* Sleep as much as possible to feel rested, then get out of bed (do not over-sleep).
» Read more: What is sleep hygiene?

There are several recommended techniques used in treating people with insomnia. These are non-medical strategies and are generally advised to be practiced at home in combination with other remedies for insomnia, such as medical treatments for insomnia and treatment for any underlying medical or psychiatric disorders.
» Read more: What are non-medical treatments for insomnia?

The treatment of insomnia depends largely on the cause of the problem. In cases where an obvious situational factor is responsible for the insomnia, correcting or removing the cause generally cures the insomnia. For example, if insomnia is related to a transient stressful situation, such as jet lag or an upcoming examination, then insomnia will be cured when the situation resolves.
» Read more: How is insomnia treated?

Evaluation and diagnosis of insomnia may start with a thorough medical and psychiatric patient history taken by the physician. As mentioned above, many medical and psychiatric conditions can be responsible for insomnia.
» Read more: How is insomnia diagnosed?

In general, insomnia related to transient situational factors resolves spontaneously when the provoking factor is removed or corrected. However, medical evaluation by a doctor may be necessary if the insomnia persists or it is thought to be related to a medical or a psychiatric condition.
» Read more: When should I call the doctor about insomnia?