Insomnia and the physiology of sleep.

Sleep is a vital human physiologic process. Insomnia can be caused by obsession and depression states, pain, or worry over everyday problems. Because of their pharmacologic action, alcohol and high doses of soporifics used as remedies may produce REM-deficit sleep and actually prolong insomnia. If the true cause of sleeplessness is not recognized and properly treated, insomnia may develop into a severe sleep problem. Since benzodiazepines and chloral hydrate do not suppress REM sleep, they are the medications of choice in the therapy for insomnia.