Insomnia, condition in which a person has difficulty getting sufficient sleep. About 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from insomnia. It can be caused by an overactive thyroid gland, diabetes, violent muscle twitching, or drinking caffeine-containing beverages before going to bed, but experts estimate that in three-fourths of all cases the cause is a psychological one. After anxiety-producing events such as the death of a loved one or loss of a job, a person may experience sleep difficulties, for awhile. Many persons recover their normal sleep rhythm spontaneously, but others become frustrated and depressed and develop chronic insomnia. Napping during the day may throw off the sleep pattern further.
So-called sleeping pills have been found to be less effective than tranquilizers . Minor tranquilizers may be used for a few nights to restore the sleep cycle and to reduce anxiety, but they are not meant as a long-term treatment. (For longer term use see Passion Flower, Hops, Valerian or Alluna™) Currently the most effective therapy is to identify any problems that may be preventing sleep and to attempt to solve them, meanwhile reducing the person's anxiety about the insomnia itself (see Sleep).