The pathogenesis of insomnia in an individual usually is multifaceted. Effective treatments require a thorough evaluation to determine the factors that need to be addressed. Pharmacologic treatments generally are safe and effective for short-term use. Long-term hypnotic use remains controversial because of the potential risk of tolerance and dependency. Various cognitive and behavioral treatments for insomnia have been shown to be effective in the management of insomnia. For long-term follow-up, multicomponent cognitive behavioral therapy, alone or in combination with hypnotic use, has been shown to be superior to hypnotic use alone.