Insomnia Due to Mental Illness

When insomnia is clearly caused by an underlying mental disorder and exists solely in the presence of a psychiatric disorder, it has traditionally been viewed as secondary and is labeled insomnia due to mental disorder (IMD). The insomnia, however, is not simply occasional disturbed sleep and must be considered significant by the patient with daytime impairment. Recent research suggests, however, that IMD is not necessarily a disorder that falls secondary to psychiatric illness. Instead, insomnia is now viewed as a comorbid illness that often requires its own specific intervention.