What Is Insomnia?
When you feel like you can't fall asleep or stay asleep, this is called insomnia. You may have one or more of these things:
- having difficulty falling asleep,
- waking up frequently during the night and having difficulty falling back asleep,
- waking up too early in the morning, or
- getting sleep that doesn't make you feel rested and having daytime fatigue.
How Is Insomnia Diagnosed? Are There Different Types of Insomnia?
There are a few different types of insomnia. Doctors classify and diagnose these different types by figuring out how often you experience insomnia symptoms.
Here is a list that classifies different types of insomnia:
- transient or short-term insomnia is when your symptoms may last from a single night to a few weeks;
- intermittent insomnia is when you have sleepless episodes from time to time;
- chronic insomnia happens most nights and lasts for a month or more.
What Causes Insomnia?
Many different factors can contribute to insomnia. These can include the following:
- stress
- depression
- anxiety
- physical illness
- irregular schedules
- drinking caffeine
- circadian rhythm disorders
- drugs
- pain
- post traumatic stress disorder
Some people also may not realize they are having insomnia, or they may have another type of sleeping disorder.