Disturbed sleep is among the most frequent health complaint physicians' encounter.

Sleep disorders may either contribute to or result from related medical or psychiatric disorders.

It must be emphasized that insomnia or disturbed sleep is a symptom and a subjective complaint and not an illness.

Treating sleep disorder without having first established a specific diagnosis reflects low standards of medical practice.

"Sleeping pills" taken by patients themselves without medical supervision will cause problems of drug dependence, drug tolerance, and even at times fatal drug interactions.

Self medication may also mask underlying major psychiatric disorders.