Tossing and turning doesn’t just make for a long night. It can affect how you feel and think the entire next day. If you struggle night after night to fall asleep and stay asleep, you might be living with insomnia, a common sleep disorder.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it challenging to fall asleep, stay asleep or both. But one night of lousy sleep doesn’t qualify as insomnia. It tends to be an ongoing problem, whether short- or long-term, that affects how you function when awake — causing issues such as sleepiness or trouble concentrating.
There are two types of insomnia:
- Acute insomnia lasts days or weeks and is often brought on by recent trauma or stress.
- Chronic insomnia involves difficulty sleeping three or more nights a week for more than three months. It’s usually — but not always — a symptom of another issue.
In the short term, insomnia can affect your mental health, cognitive function and energy levels. Over time, chronic insomnia can increase your risk of certain health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes.
What causes insomnia?
There are many possible causes of insomnia. Lifestyle choices that involve using caffeine, tobacco and alcohol can affect your ability to sleep soundly; so can certain medications, including some allergy, cold and blood pressure drugs. Experts believe there may also be a genetic component to some people’s insomnia.
Insomnia is commonly a symptom of an underlying condition, such as:
- Breathing disorders, such as asthma
- Chronic pain resulting from conditions like arthritis or migraine
- Gastrointestinal disorders, including acid reflux
- Hormone imbalances related to thyroid conditions or menopause
- Mental health issues such as anxiety or depression
- Neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease
- Other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea
Insomnia risk factors
Factors that may affect your risk of developing insomnia include:
- Age: Older people are more likely to experience sleep issues.
- Ethnicity: Black people have higher rates of sleep disorders, including insomnia.
- Inactivity: Regular physical activity reduces your risk for all sleep disorders.
- Mental distress: A mental health issue or ongoing stress can impact your ability to sleep.
- Occupation: People who perform shift work — especially those who work at night — or travel across time zones often are more likely to have insomnia.
How to know if you have insomnia
You may be experiencing symptoms of insomnia if you:
- Take a long time to fall asleep
- Wake up frequently during the night
- Can’t fall back asleep after waking
- Feel exhausted, fall asleep or can’t function during the day
More than 60% of people may experience one or more symptoms of insomnia at some point in their lives, but less than 10% of adults are likely to have chronic insomnia.
Diagnosing and treating insomnia
The first step in diagnosing insomnia is seeing your primary care physician (PCP), who may perform the following assessments:
- Medical history, including evaluation of your current medications
- Physical exam to identify underlying health issues
- Sleep history, including your sleep habits
- Sleep study to measure how well you sleep
If insomnia is the symptom of an underlying health issue, treating that health issue may help you sleep better. Your health care provider may also recommend:
- Lifestyle changes around your sleep habits, diet, exercise habits and social life
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to relieve anxiety caused by chronic insomnia
- Mindfulness-based behavioral therapy specifically focused on insomnia
- Medication to help you sleep more soundly
There is no cure for insomnia. But if you live with chronic insomnia, your physician can help you find ways to cope with it and improve your sleeping situation.
