![Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep. The three types of insomnia include transient insomnia (less than 1 week), acute insomnia (short term), and chronic insomnia (long term).](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/what-causes-insomnia.jpg?output-quality=75)
Insomnia is the most common type of sleep disorder, and it involves problems falling asleep or staying asleep, or getting quality sleep, despite having an adequate opportunity to do so.
There are three types of insomnia:
- Transient insomnia
- Acute insomnia
- Chronic insomnia
The duration of insomnia differentiates the three types of insomnia. The types of insomnia are described in greater detail in the table below.
Type | Symptoms |
---|---|
Transient insomnia |
|
Acute insomnia |
|
Chronic insomnia |
|
What Are Symptoms of Insomnia?
Symptoms of all types of insomnia may include the following:
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Variable or disturbed sleep
- Waking up too early
- Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
- Forgetfulness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Decreased motivation or energy
- Increased errors or accidents
- Diminished performance at work or school
- Headache
- Persistent worry about sleep
- Increased risk of anxiety and depression
What Causes Insomnia?
Insomnia may be caused by multiple factors. The main cause of insomnia is believed to be a state of mental and/or physical hyperarousal that interferes with falling asleep or staying asleep.
Causes of insomnia include the following:
- Changes in sleeping environment
- Light
- Noise
- Temperature
- Stress
- Loss of a loved one
- Loss of a pet
- Job loss
- Divorce
- Illnesses, especially those that cause stress or breathing problems
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits
- Irregular sleep habits
- Irregular sleep schedules that disrupt the circadian rhythm
- Jet lag
- Shift work
- Pain
- Surgery
- Use of or withdrawal from some medications and illegal drugs
- Blood pressure drugs such as beta blockers and clonidine
- Anti-asthma medications
- Antidepressants
- Theophylline
- Decongestants
- Stimulants
- Certain over-the-counter (OTC) and herbal remedies
- Mental health problems
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Neurological disorders
- Alzheimer's disease
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Parkinson's disease
- Other sleep disorders
- Pregnancy
- Nighttime urinary frequency
- Discomfort
- Disrupted breathing
- Reflux
- Restless leg syndrome
- Genetics
- Age: Teenagers and the elderly experience insomnia more frequently.
- May not have a known cause
How Do Doctors Diagnose Insomnia?
Sleep disorders are diagnosed with a patient history and physical exam. Tests or procedures that may be used to diagnose sleep disorders or to rule out other underlying conditions include the following:
- Daily sleep log
- Sleep study (polysomnography)
- Record of activity and movement with a monitor or motion detector, generally worn on the wrist throughout the day and night (actigraphy)
- Home sleep apnea testing
- Daytime multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT)
- Studies for low blood oxygen (hypoxemia)
- Home devices that monitor breathing, oxygen saturation, position, and heart rate
- Melatonin sampling
- Core body temperature measurements
- Hormone tests
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan
- Pulmonary function tests
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain
- Genetic testing (for example, for fatal familial insomnia, a very rare condition, but should be considered if first-degree relatives are affected)
What Is the Treatment for Insomnia?
Treatment for insomnia includes the following:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)
- Sleep education
- Sleep restriction or sleep compression therapy
- Stimulus control
- Sleep hygiene education
- Relaxation exercises
- Sleep medications, both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription
- Sedative-hypnotics
- Sedating antidepressants
- Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- Doxepin (Silenor)
- Mirtazapine (Remeron)
- Trazodone
- Other measures:
- Acupressure
- Dietary modification
- Exercise (done at least 6 hours before bedtime)
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
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<https://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep>.
<https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/what-causes-insomnia>.
<https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/types-of-insomnia>.
<https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1187829-overview>.