University of Minnesota/University of Puerto Rico: Practice Based Learning Collaborative: Panel Calls for a New Look at Treatments Commonly Used for Chronic Insomnia

June 16, 2005

Panel Calls for a New Look at Treatments Commonly Used for Chronic Insomnia

Many of the medications widely used to manage chronic insomnia have not yet been rigorously evaluated for long-term use, according to an independent scientific panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health. This is a critical consideration because for many patients, insomnia can persist for decades. The panel also stressed that many chronic insomnia sufferers could benefit from currently underused behavioral and cognitive therapies.