In recent years, a new disease that has raised many concerns is insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder divided into two categories: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is defined as a person simply having difficulty falling asleep, but it is not directly associated with other health conditions. Secondary insomnia means that a person has sleep problems due to a primary health condition. Insomnia can range from acute to chronic. People with acute insomnia can be treated by practicing healthy sleep habits. These may include avoiding consumption of stimulants such as caffeine for a few hours before bed, attempting to develop a regular sleep schedule, and practicing different forms of relaxation exercises before bed. Chronic insomnia can be much more difficult to treat. In fact, chronic illnesses pose a significant risk for insomnia. It is estimated that the majority of people with insomnia, approximately 75%-90%, are at increased risk of other medical disorders, such conditions include: hypoxemia and dyspnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease, pain conditions, and neurodegenerative diseases (Roth , 2007). Chronic insomnia is very widespread and affects approximately 30% of the general population. It is estimated that 40% of all patients with insomnia have a coexisting psychiatric condition (Ford, 1989). The most common are depression and other anxiety disorders. Medical conditions such as an enlarged prostate or other bladder diseases that require frequent urination can affect sleep patterns. The use of psychotic drugs can also affect sleep patterns. Although the medical field has come a long way in finding the causes of insomnia, most people do not know the procedures or measurements of... middle of paper... Current evidence for acupuncture is not sufficiently supported for the treatment of insomnia. Works Cited Baillargeon L, Demers M, Ladouceur R. (1998 Jan). Stimulus control: Non-drug treatment for insomnia. 44:73-9. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9481465Bliwise DL, Ansari FP. (2007) Insomnia associated with valerian and melatonin use in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. Sleep. 30(7):881–884. Cheuk DK, Yeung WF, Chung KF, et al. (2007) Acupuncture for insomnia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (online). (3):CD005472.Ford DE, Kamerow DB. Epidemiological study of sleep disorders and psychiatric disorders. An opportunity for prevention? Journal of the American Medical Association. 1989;262:1479–84.Roth T. (2007). Insomnia: definition, prevalence, etiology and consequences. J. Clin. Sleep Med. 3, S7–S10.