[Cognitive-behavioral treatment of insomnia and its use during withdrawal of hypnotic medication].

Insomnia is a widespread health problem that often leads to the use of hypnotic medication. Among the available pharmacological agents to treat insomnia, benzodiazepines (BZD) present some undesirable effects, entailing risks of tolerance and dependence, and increased risk of automobile accidents, falls and fractures in the elderly. Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) of insomnia, which focuses on psychological and behavioral factors that play a role in maintaining sleep-related problems, is efficient to improve sleep in the elderly who suffer from primary insomnia. This treatment may represent an alternative to pharmacotherapy or again be complementary during discontinuation of hypnotic medication. The CBT of insomnia may include different components such as stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation, cognitive restructuring and sleep hygiene. For people who are dependent to BZD or other hypnotic medication, a supervised tapering based on attaining successive objectives is generally added to the CBT of insomnia.