[Hypnotics].
Several epidemiological studies have shown that more than 20% of the general adult population has symptoms of insomnia. Sleep disorders have been reported to underlie the development and deterioration of several comorbid diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and depression. It has also been documented that prevalence of insomnia is higher in subjects suffering from physical diseases. Therefore, most patients with insomnia first consult a general practitioner. Various kinds of hypnotics are prescribed mainly by general practitioners or non-sleep-medicine expert physicians. Therefore transferring clinical knowledge on insomnia from sleep medicine specialists to general practitioners is important. In this review article, I described pathophysiology and treatment of insomnia, with special reference to the use of hypnotic agents.