The Singapore Family Physician
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                                    Vol 36 No. 1 - Psychiatry Updates
                                
                            
                        
                    
                    An approach to insomnia
                            
                                
                                    The Singapore Family Physician
                                    Vol 36
                                    No 1
                                    - Psychiatry Updates
                                
                            
                        
                    
                                8
                                
                                    - 11
                                
                            
                        
                                
                                    1 March 2010
                                
                            
                        
                                0377-5305
                            
                        Insomnia, the most prevalent sleep complaint in the general population, is defined as the inability to obtain sleep that is sufficiently long or ‘good enough’ to result in feeling rested  or restored the following day.  Patients with insomnia often report difficulty in falling sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, such as having intermittent awakening during the night, or early morning awakening with inability to fall asleep again. common perpetuating factors for insomnia are: poor sleep hygiene was established and continues; excessive worrying 
about sleep; much time and effort spent on ‘trying’ to sleep. Behavioural  treatment  of psychophysiological  insomnia consists  of  education,  cognitive  restructuring,  stimulus 
control  procedures,  sleep  restriction  and  implementation of healthy sleep habits. 
                        