What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a problem getting to sleep, staying asleep or feeling rested by sleep. It is a symptom rather than a disease. In fact, it is a symptom most everyone is likely to have some nights, often because of happy events like weddings or other special occasions, or because of stressful events like divorce or health problems. If the problem lasts for more than a few nights and the person has trouble functioning during the day because of it, then it is worth seeking help. Insomnia is treatable.

Insomnia is often referred to as “vague” because it is so difficult to determine what exactly is causing the sleeplessness: underlying medical conditions, chronic pain, depression, or even another sleep disorder like restless leg syndrome. For some, the cause could be as simple as stress.

Regardless of the cause, all insomniacs know that it can be nearly impossible to fall asleep or fall back to sleep. If you have insomnia, you may spend hours lying in bed, tossing and turning, trying desperately to fall asleep. You may even feel that doing so makes you feel even more stressed about not being asleep. A new study suggests that not only is that stress keeping you awake, being in the bed itself might be contributing to your sleeplessness.

Insomnia is a common condition in which you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or returning to sleep after you awaken. It can be a chronic (long-term) problem if it lasts more than 3 nights per week for more than a month. Or it may be an acute (short-term) problem if it lasts less than that. Either way, it can be very disruptive to your daily routine. Most people (8 out of 10) have insomnia that is caused by a medical condition, medicines, or other substances.

Insomnia is more than just a nuisance that may leave you feeling tired the next day. If it is a chronic problem, it may raise your risk for heart attack and stroke. Research studies have shown a link between fewer than 6 hours of sleep a night and cardiovascular disease. If you have long-term insomnia, your physician can help you identify and treat the cause.

Most of us need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night to function at our best, although some people feel alert and rested after fewer hours. Insomnia is the inability to obtain adequate sleep. People experience insomnia in a variety of ways, including having difficulty falling or staying asleep, waking too early in the morning, and waking up feeling unrefreshed. Almost everyone experiences occasional bouts of insomnia. If your sleep is disrupted for three or more nights a week for more than one month at a time, you have what is considered chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia often causes problems during the day, such as sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. It can contribute to poor performance on the job and car accidents, and profoundly affect your sense of well-being and general health.

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Insomnia is difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up too early in the morning. It is a common health problem that can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. Long-term insomnia can cause an individual to feel tired, depressed or irritable, have trouble paying attention, learning, and remembering, and not be able to perform fully on the job or at school. Severe insomnia can result in neurochemical (brain chemical) changes that may cause problems such as depression and anxiety, further complicating the insomnia.

Insomnia increases sleep latency, or the length of time that it takes to go from full wakefulness to falling asleep. During the daytime, a sleep latency of 15-25 minutes is considered normal.

Insomnia is classified as transient (occasional), mild, and severe, depending on how often it occurs and for how long. Chronic insomnia is defined as having symptoms at least three nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts for less than a month is known as short-term, or acute insomnia.

Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. An estimated 30-50% of the general population of the United States has been affected at one time or another by acute insomnia, and 10% have chronic (long-term) insomnia.

Insomnia affects all age groups, but its prevalence tends to increase with age. Insomnia affects approximately 40% of women and 30% of men at any given time. The average American gets seven hours of sleep nightly, instead of the eight to ten hours recommended by doctors.

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Insomnia is a disorder marked by a lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep. It may be acute or chronic.

The latest studies indicate that nearly a quarter of the American population suffers with insomnia almost every night.

Although anyone can experience insomnia at any time, it is more common in women, and it tends to increase with age. It often, though not always, occurs in conjunction with other health problems.

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