Doxepin
In 2016 the American College of Physicians advised that insomnia be treated first by treating comorbid conditions, then with cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral changes, and then with drugs; doxepin was among those recommended for short-term help maintaining sleep, on the basis of weak evidence. The 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommendations focused on treatment with drugs were similar. A 2015 AHRQ review of treatments for insomnia had similar findings.
Sleep state misperception
According to a May 2014 article published in New Scientist, spectral analysis may help clinicians find objective evidence for sleep state misperception:
Behavioral treatment can be effective in some cases. Sedative hypnotics may also help relieve the symptoms. Additionally, education about normal patterns of the sleep-wake cycle may alleviate anxiety in some patients. For patients with severe depression resulting from the fear of having insomnia, electroconvulsive therapy appears to be a safe and effective treatment.