Insomnia

Insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both, despite adequate opportunity and time to sleep, leading to impaired daytime functioning. Insomnia may be due to poor quality or quantity of sleep.

Insomnia is very common and occurs in 30% to 50% of the general population. Approximately 10% of the population may suffer from chronic (long-standing) insomnia.

Insomnia may be divided into three classes based on the duration of symptoms:

  • Transient insomnia - Insomnia lasting one week or less.
  • Short-term insomnia - Lasts more than one week but resolves in less than three weeks.
  • Long-term or chronic insomnia - Lasts more than three weeks.

Insomnia can also be classified based on the underlying reasons for insomnia such as sleep hygiene, medical conditions, sleep disorders or stress factors.

Symptoms of insomnia can include:

  • Sleepiness during the day
  • General tiredness & Irritability
  • Problems with concentration or memory
  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
  • Waking up too early in the morning
  • Feeling tired upon waking

There are two types of insomnia:

  • Primary insomnia: Primary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem.
  • Secondary insomnia: Secondary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer or heartburn), pain, medication they are taking, or a substance they are using (like alcohol).