Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can cause issues with falling or staying asleep or getting good quality sleep. There are two main types of insomnia, short-term and chronic. Short-term insomnia only lasts for a few days or weeks. Chronic insomnia is when you experience sleeplessness for more than three nights a week lasting more than three months. Insomnia can be caused by changes in your schedule or environment, stress, medications, certain medical conditions, eating late in the evening, consuming certain foods/substances, or too much screen time before bed. If left untreated, short-term insomnia may increase the risk of certain health problems or lead to workplace and road accidents. Chronic insomnia raises your risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, waking up throughout the night, irritability, depression, anxiety, excessive sleepiness, and decreased alertness. Insomnia may be diagnosed via a sleep test and treatment will be determined by your healthcare provider. This can include therapy, medicines to help you fall or stay asleep and healthy lifestyle changes.