LEEP DISTURBANCE IS A PREVAlent problem in late life. Between 12% and 25% of healthy seniors report chronic insomnia, and these estimates are even higher among older adults with coexisting medical or psychiatric illness. 1-4 In addition to normal age-related changes in the physiological aspects of sleep, the increased incidence of health problems and medication use, combined with lifestyle changes associated with retirement, place older adults at increased risk for disrupted sleep. 5 Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, may involve trouble falling asleep, frequent or prolonged nocturnal awakenings, or early morning awakenings with an inability to return to sleep. 6 Older adults report primarily, although not exclusively, difficulty in maintaining sleep. Although not all sleep changes are pathologic in late life, 7,8 severe sleep disturbances are associated with daytime fatigue and impaired functioning, reduced quality of life, and increased health care costs. 9,10 When left untreated, chronic insomnia may increase vulnerability to major depression 2 and, among older adults with cognitive impairments, may hasten nursing home placement. 11 Despite its high prevalence and negative impact, less than 15% of individuals with chronic insomnia receive treatment. 4 When treatment is initiated, pharmacotherapy is the most common method for insomnia management. 3,12,13 Although short-term use of hypnotic medi

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