Summary

Insomnia can be:

Acute:  It’s short-term (days or few weeks) and commonly triggered by a stressful situation.

Chronic:  It’s ongoing (a month, years) and often has become like a learned habit (that can be unlearned).

Primary:  Insomnia is the only problem.

Secondary:  Some other condition (a different type of sleep disorder, a different medical disorder) is the primary problem. Insomnia is related to it.

 

Overview

Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary, which means they are the symptom or side effect of some other problem. Certain medical conditions, medicines, sleep disorders, and substances can cause secondary insomnia.

In contrast, primary insomnia isn’t due to medical problems, medicines, or other substances. It is its own distinct disorder. At first, it may have been caused by something, like a life change. Over time, it simply keeps going, like an unwanted habit, long after the stress or emotional upset went away.

Insomnia can cause daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. It also can make you feel anxious, depressed, or irritable. You may have trouble focusing on tasks, paying attention, learning, and remembering. These problems can prevent you from doing your best at work or school.

Insomnia also can cause other serious problems. For example, ‘drowsy driving’ is like driving drunk. It ...

Summary

Your doctor will likely diagnose insomnia based on your medical and sleep histories and a physical exam.

To find out what’s causing your insomnia, your doctor may ask whether you:

Have any new or ongoing health problems Have painful injuries or health conditions, such as arthritis Take any medicines, either over-the-counter or prescription Have symptoms or a history of depression, anxiety, or psychosis Are coping with highly stressful life events, such as divorce or death

 

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Insomnia?

The main symptom of insomnia is trouble falling or staying asleep, which leads to lack of sleep. If you have insomnia, you may:

Lie awake for a long time before you fall asleep Sleep for only short periods Be awake for much of the night Feel as if you haven’t slept at all Wake up too early

The lack of sleep can cause other symptoms. You may wake up feeling tired or not well-rested, and you may feel tired during the day. You also may have trouble focusing on tasks. Insomnia can cause you to feel anxious, depressed, or irritable.

Insomnia also can affect your daily activities and cause serious problems. For example, you may feel drowsy while driving. Driver sleepiness (not related to alcohol) is responsible for almost 20 percent of ...

Summary

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSD), a family of sleep disorders, affect (among other bodily processes) the timing of sleep. People with circadian rhythm sleep disorders are unable to go to sleep and awaken at the times commonly required for work and school as well as social needs.

They are generally able to get enough sleep if allowed to sleep and wake at the times dictated by their “body clocks”. The quality of their sleep is usually normal unless they also have another sleep disorder.

Starting point for this Overview is this Wikipedia entry as of Aug. 25, 2016

 

Introduction

Humans, like most living organisms, have various biological rhythms. Circadian rhythms, often referred to as the body clock or the biological clock, control processes that re-occur daily, e.g. body temperature,alertness, and hormone secretion as well as sleep timing. Due to the circadian clock, sleepiness does not continuously increase throughout the day; a person’s desire and ability to fall asleep is influenced both by the length of time since the person woke from an adequate sleep and by internal circadian rhythms. Thus, a person’s body is ready for sleep and for wakefulness at relatively specific times of the day.

Sleep researcher Yaron Dagan states that ...