What Is Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep.

The condition can be short-term (acute) or can last a long time (chronic). It may also come and go.

Acute insomnia lasts from 1 night to a few weeks. Insomnia is chronic when it happens at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more.

Types of Insomnia

There are two types of insomnia: primary and secondary.

• Primary insomnia: This means your sleep problems aren’t linked to any other health condition or problem.
• Secondary insomnia: This means you have trouble sleeping because of a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn); pain; medication; or substance use (like alcohol).

Insomnia Causes

Causes of primary insomnia include:

• Stress related to big life events, like a job loss or change, the death of a loved one, divorce, or moving
• Things around you like noise, light, or temperature
• Changes to your sleep schedule like jet lag, a new shift at work, or bad habits you picked up when you had other sleep problems