Everything You Need to Know About Insomnia

Insomnia occurs when you’re unable to get the sleep you need to feel refreshed. Causes range from stress to chronic health conditions. Treatments include therapy, medications, or lifestyle changes.
Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder.

Among sleep disorders, insomnia is the most common. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), about a third of adults report some insomnia symptoms.

Insomnia symptoms
Typical insomnia symptomsTrusted Source include:
• waking too early and finding yourself unable to fall back asleep
• spending a lot of the night lying awake, worrying you won’t fall asleep
• a consistent pattern of interrupted or broken sleep that doesn’t refresh you
• trouble falling asleep after going to bed

As a result, you might begin to experience other symptoms related to lack of sleep, including:
• fatigue
• irritability and other mood changes
• difficulty concentrating or remembering things

Types of insomnia
Experts describe insomnia in different ways, depending on its characteristics:
• Acute insomnia: short-term sleeping difficulties that generally last no more than a few weeks.
• Chronic insomnia: insomnia that affects your sleep for at least 3 days every week for a period of 3 months or longer. It can be primary (idiopathic) or secondary (comorbid).

• Onset insomnia: difficulty falling asleep. Trouble getting to sleep might happen as a result of caffeine use, mental health symptoms, or other common insomnia triggers, but it can also develop with other sleep disorders.
• Maintenance insomnia: trouble remaining asleep once you get to sleep, or consistently waking up too early. This type of insomnia might relate to underlying health and mental health symptoms.
• Behavioral insomnia of childhood: consistent trouble falling asleep, refusing to go to bed, or both. Children with this condition often benefit from learning self-soothing strategies and following a regular sleep routine.

Insomnia causes and risk factors
Causes of insomnia can vary depending on which type you have.
Possible causesTrusted Source of acute insomnia are recent stressors, such as an upsetting or traumatic event or jet lag.

Chronic insomnia can occur as a result of:
• chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis or back pain
• psychological conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or substance use disorders
• sleep apnea and other sleep disorders
• health conditions such as diabetes or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Risk factors for insomnia
InsomniaTrusted Source is related to age, sex, and genetics. It’s more common:
• in older adulthood
• just before, during, and after menopause
• in people who are pregnant

Other risk factors associated with insomnia include:
• a sedentary lifestyle
• shift work
• taking naps
• drinking caffeine

Treating insomnia
You have a number of options for treating insomnia, including therapy, medications and supplements, and natural remedies.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)
Medications and supplements
Other approaches
• Natural sleep aids
• Meditation
• Acupuncture
• Exercise