Neurobiology of sleep-wake cycle
Learn about the neurobiology of the sleep-wake cycle and implications for the understanding and management of insomnia in this Expert Column at Medscape.com. The Sleep-Wake Cycle and Its Clinical Implications in Understanding and Managing Insomnia Expert Column CME at Medscape.comby Thomas Roth, PhD Introduction Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder affecting a significant portion […]
Learn about the neurobiology of the sleep-wake cycle and implications for the understanding and management of insomnia in this Expert Column at Medscape.com.
The Sleep-Wake Cycle and Its Clinical Implications in Understanding and Managing Insomnia
Expert Column CME at Medscape.com
by Thomas Roth, PhD
Introduction
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder affecting a significant portion of the population. Insomnia is defined as a report of difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or having insufficient sleep duration despite adequate opportunity to sleep. The sleep symptoms must be associated with daytime distress or impairment in waking function. It is important to emphasize that insomnia was historically defined as a symptom rather than a disorder. However, recently developed research diagnostic criteria for insomnia, expert consensus, and an increasing convergence of data have led to the acknowledgment that insomnia is a disorder with important nocturnal (sleep) and diurnal (daytime impairment) symptoms. Thus, although patients with insomnia present with specific sleep-related symptoms, the disorder is complex and likely involves multiple components (eg, predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating).
In this Expert Column, I briefly review the prevalence, morbidity, and pathophysiology of insomnia; then I discuss the control of sleep and wakefulness and implications for the understanding and treatment of insomnia.
Read all at Medscape.com
