The Most Common Symptoms and Types of the Sleep Disorder Insomnia

Woman lying in bed with symptoms of insomniaWhat is Insomnia?

Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which an individual has difficulties falling and/or staying asleep, despite allowing oneself the adequate opportunity to get sleep. Many people around the world suffer from some form of insomnia with varying severity based on how long and how often they suffer from the condition. Furthermore, insomnia is the most common sleep disorder around the world.

What Are the Symptoms of Insomnia?

The core symptoms of insomnia are having difficulties falling asleep at night and waking up regularly during the night. Additionally, other common symptoms include lying awake at night or waking up early and being unable to go back to sleep. Consequently, people suffering from insomnia often still feel tired after waking up in the morning. Besides sleep disruption at night, insomnia symptoms may include:

  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Irritability and mood disturbance
  • Lack of motivation or energy
  • Poor concentration and focus leading to errors or accidents
  • Difficulty socializing, working or studying
  • Regular concerns or worries about sleep
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Headaches
  • Gastrointestinal symptoms

A man sitting at his work desk, visibly tired

Different Types and Sub-Types of Insomnia

There are several different (sub)types of insomnia with unique characteristics.

  • Short Term or Acute Insomnia Versus Long Term or Chronic Insomnia

Short term insomnia or acute insomnia lasts between one night and a couple of weeks. Furthermore, acute insomnia is usually triggered by life stressors related to work, academic performance, or relationships. Luckily, when these stressors disappear this form of insomnia is usually resolved.

Long term insomnia or chronic insomnia occurs at least three nights a week for more than three months. Additionally, chronic or clinical insomnia is more severe, has more drastic health consequences and is more difficult to eliminate.

  • Primary Insomnia Versus Secondary Insomnia

Primary insomnia is a type of insomnia which is not the consequence of an underlying health condition.

Secondary insomnia is a type of insomnia which is the consequence of an underlying health condition or a side effect of a medication. For example, insomnia can be caused by Parkinson’s disease and asthma medication.

  • Sleep Onset Insomnia Versus Sleep Maintenance Insomnia

When individuals experience difficulties falling asleep at night they suffer from sleep onset insomnia.

Sleep maintenance insomnia is a type of insomnia which is characterized by individuals experiencing problems staying asleep at night. Moreover, sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia are not mutually exclusive as it is possible to suffer from both at the same time.

  • Paradoxical Insomnia

Paradoxical insomnia is a type of insomnia which is characterized by individuals who claim not sleeping enough or poorly during the night. However, in reality they have slept far better than they themselves believe. These patients underestimate the time they are asleep at night and require psychological interventions.

A woman visibly tired

How Common is Insomnia?

Insomnia is one of the most pressing and prevalent medical issues in modern society. Unfortunately, not enough attention is paid to this condition. Studies indicate that approximately one in nine people are suffering from chronic insomnia, the most severe form of insomnia. Moreover, this is twice as common in women than in men. Additionally, in-depth studies indicate that insomnia is more prevalent with increasing age and comorbidities, and is often missed by a primary care physician. Furthermore, epidemiological data suggest that about two out of three people regularly have difficulty falling and/or staying asleep for at least one night a week, every week. This clearly illustrates the seriousness and widespread problem of insomnia around the world.

The Causes of Insomnia

There are a lot of different factors which can cause insomnia such as psychological, physical, medical, environmental and external factors. Luckily, many of them can be addressed or prevented to allow individuals to get better sleep at night. We will go into more detail on the different causes of insomnia on the pages focused on the Biological Causes of Insomnia and External Causes of Insomnia.