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Insomnia
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Brain Nerves

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep, often resulting in poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue.

Types of Insomnia

  • Acute (short-term) insomnia: Usually lasts for days or weeks and is commonly caused by stress at work, family pressures, or traumatic events.
  • Chronic (ongoing) insomnia: Lasts for a month or longer. It is often secondary to medical conditions, medications, or substances like caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol. In some cases, it is a primary problem linked to long-lasting stress, emotional upset, or shift work.

Risk Factors

While insomnia can affect anyone, you are at higher risk if you:

  • Experience high levels of stress
  • Are depressed or dealing with emotional distress
  • Have a lower income
  • Work night shifts or have irregular work hours
  • Travel long distances across time zones
  • Have an inactive lifestyle
  • Are African American (research indicates higher prevalence of sleep-related breathing problems and difficulty falling asleep)

Symptoms

  • Lying awake for a long time before falling asleep
  • Sleeping for only short periods
  • Being awake for much of the night
  • Feeling as if you haven't slept at all
  • Waking up too early

Diagnosis & Treatment

Health care providers diagnose insomnia by reviewing medical and sleep histories, conducting physical exams, and potentially ordering a sleep study. Treatments include:

  • Lifestyle changes: Adopting good sleep habits to relieve acute insomnia.
  • Counseling: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address anxiety linked to chronic insomnia.
  • Medicines: Used to help re-establish a regular sleep schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

cute insomnia lasts for days or weeks and is usually triggered by stress, travel, or life events, often resolving with lifestyle changes. Chronic insomnia persists for at least three nights a week for a month or longer. You should seek medical evaluation if your sleep problems last more than a few weeks, significantly impact your daytime functioning, or if you suspect an underlying medical condition, medication side effect, or sleep disorder like sleep apnea is contributing to your sleeplessness.
CBT-I is considered the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia because it addresses the underlying thoughts and behaviors that maintain sleep problems, rather than just masking symptoms. It includes techniques like sleep restriction to build sleep drive, stimulus control to associate the bed only with sleep, and cognitive restructuring to reduce anxiety about not sleeping. Unlike medications, which can lose effectiveness or cause dependency, CBT-I provides lasting improvements in sleep quality and reduces the need for sleep aids.
For shift workers, maintaining a consistent sleep-wake schedule is crucial, even on days off. This involves using blackout curtains to block out daylight during sleep hours, wearing sunglasses when traveling home in the morning, and avoiding caffeine for at least 8 to 10 hours before your planned sleep time. Additionally, keeping the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, and limiting screen exposure before bed can help regulate your circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality despite irregular work hours.
Yes, both substances can significantly disrupt sleep. Caffeine has a half-life of several hours, meaning that a coffee consumed in the afternoon can still be active in your system at bedtime, increasing alertness and reducing deep sleep. Alcohol, while it may help you fall asleep initially, fragments sleep later in the night, leading to frequent awakenings and reduced REM sleep. Limiting caffeine to the morning and avoiding alcohol within 3 to 4 hours of bedtime can improve overall sleep continuity and quality.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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