Insomnia is difficulty in falling or staying asleep, the absence ofrestful sleep, or poor quality of sleep. Insomnia is a symptom and not a disease. The most common causes of insomnia are:- medications,
- psychological conditions (for example, depression,anxiety),
- environmental changes (travel, jet lag, or altitude changes), and
- stressful events or a stressful lifestyle.
Insomnia can also be caused by poor sleeping habits such as excessive daytime naps orcaffeine consumption and poor sleep hygiene.The National Center for Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health estimates 30%-40% of adults report some symptoms of insomnia each year, and about 10%-15% report they have chronic insomnia.Insomnia may be classified by how long the symptoms are present.- Transient insomnia usually is due to situational changes such as travel, extreme climate changes, and stressful events. It lasts for less than a week or until the stressful event is resolved.
- Short-term insomnia usually is due to ongoing stressful lifestyle or events, medication side effects or medical conditions and lasts for one to three weeks.
- Chronic insomnia (long-term insomnia) often results from depression, digestive problems, sleep disorders, or substance abuse and continues for more than three weeks.
Transient insomnia may progress to short-term insomnia and without adequate treatment, and short-term insomnia may become chronic insomnia.Among the medications and substances that can contribute to insomnia are:- caffine and coffee,
- tobacco,
- alcohol,
- decongestants (for example, pseudoephedrine),
- diuretics (for example, furosemide [Lasix], hydrochlorothiazide[Dyazide]) especially if taken in the evening or at bedtime,
- antidepressants (for example, bupropion [Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Zyban], fluoxetine [Prozac]),
- appetite suppressants (for example, sibutramine [Meridia], phentermine[Fastin]), and
- amphetamines.
- benzodiazepines (for example, diazepam [Valium], chlordiazepoxide[Librium], lorazepam [Ativan]),
- alcohol,
- antihistamines,
- amphetamines,
- cocaine,
- marijuana, and
- other addicting drugs.
Insomnia can also result from poor sleep-related habits (poor sleep hygiene).
