What Is Insomnia - Types, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment Procedure

Getting adequate sleep is an indispensable requirement for a body to function properly. However, today’s hectic lifestyle makes getting enough of a restful slumber difficult to impossible for almost everyone.

Not sure if your sleeplessness is just a benign phase or a serious sleep disorder like insomnia?  The following piece may be able to answer your query of ‘what is insomnia?’ and clarify all related confusions. Keep reading!

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that troubles one from falling asleep, insomnia hinders individuals from getting the adequate rest required to function efficiently. An average adult human being needs around 7-8 hours of sound sleep every night for overall well-being.

Contrarily, some people suffering from insomnia face waking up at unexpected intervals and are unable to go back to sleep right away or at all.

Different individuals face insomnia in different forms. Therefore, you must be aware of its various types for easy identification in case you or a loved one is facing related symptoms.

Take a look at the following list of different types of insomnia to understand how the condition can manifest differently in different individuals.

1. Acute Insomnia

Alternatively referred to as adjustment insomnia or short-term insomnia, acute insomnia is the most commonly prevailing type. As the name suggests, acute insomnia involves a brief episode of sleeplessness that lasts for less than 3 months.

Generally, acute insomnia is caused by a significant change or some sort of traumatic or stressful incident in life. The symptoms of this type of insomnia go away on their own as an individual overcomes or adapts to the trying times. In case symptoms persist, acute insomnia transitions into chronic insomnia.

2. Chronic Insomnia

When sleeplessness becomes a months-long episode instead of being a one-off occurrence, it is called chronic insomnia. You may be suffering from this condition if you experience difficulty sleeping for a minimum of 3 days a week over a period longer than 3 months.

This long-term condition is often a result of some other chronic or underlying physical or mental health conditions, also termed co-morbidities. However, individuals can also experience this type of insomnia in the absence of any such accompanying condition.

3. Onset Insomnia

Are you someone who is a bit too familiar with tossing and turning in bed for most of the time you spend trying to sleep? Then, you may be suffering from onset insomnia. Simply put, onset insomnia refers to the condition where individuals experience difficulty in initiating sleep right away.

Most individuals suffering from this condition often fail to fall asleep even after spending approximately half an hour in bed trying to get some rest. This leads to a reduction in one’s total sleep duration, resulting in sleep deprivation the following day.

4. Behavioural Insomnia of Childhood (BIC)

Typically prevalent in children, this type of insomnia generally comprises behaviours such as awakening untimely at night, bedtime resistance, and taking longer than usual to fall asleep. This type of insomnia often results when children are weaned off specific habits inculcated at infancy and requires parental intervention.

5. Maintenance Insomnia

Sleep maintenance insomnia generally refers to the condition where an individual fails to stay asleep throughout the entire duration. This comprises a fragmented sleeping pattern, with most individuals waking up at least once in the middle of their slumber and struggling for a substantial time to fall asleep again.

Just like onset insomnia, this condition also leads to a reduction in the total sleep time, thus leading to sluggishness during the daytime.

6. Paradoxical Insomnia

Individuals with paradoxical insomnia generally develop a feeling that they have been asleep for a time much lesser than their actual sleep time. This leaves them with a false sense of sleep deprivation, which, in turn, can result in reduced energy levels.

Now, individuals having the same type of insomnia may often experience different symptoms. This primarily depends on the stage of insomnia they are suffering from.

Take a look at the following list of different types of insomnia to understand how the condition can manifest differently in different individuals.

1. Acute Insomnia

Alternatively referred to as adjustment insomnia or short-term insomnia, acute insomnia is the most commonly prevailing type. As the name suggests, acute insomnia involves a brief episode of sleeplessness that lasts for less than 3 months.

Generally, acute insomnia is caused by a significant change or some sort of traumatic or stressful incident in life. The symptoms of this type of insomnia go away on their own as an individual overcomes or adapts to the trying times. In case symptoms persist, acute insomnia transitions into chronic insomnia.

2. Chronic Insomnia

When sleeplessness becomes a months-long episode instead of being a one-off occurrence, it is called chronic insomnia. You may be suffering from this condition if you experience difficulty sleeping for a minimum of 3 days a week over a period longer than 3 months.

This long-term condition is often a result of some other chronic or underlying physical or mental health conditions, also termed co-morbidities. However, individuals can also experience this type of insomnia in the absence of any such accompanying condition.

3. Onset Insomnia

Are you someone who is a bit too familiar with tossing and turning in bed for most of the time you spend trying to sleep? Then, you may be suffering from onset insomnia. Simply put, onset insomnia refers to the condition where individuals experience difficulty in initiating sleep right away.

Most individuals suffering from this condition often fail to fall asleep even after spending approximately half an hour in bed trying to get some rest. This leads to a reduction in one’s total sleep duration, resulting in sleep deprivation the following day.

4. Behavioural Insomnia of Childhood (BIC)

Typically prevalent in children, this type of insomnia generally comprises behaviours such as awakening untimely at night, bedtime resistance, and taking longer than usual to fall asleep. This type of insomnia often results when children are weaned off specific habits inculcated at infancy and requires parental intervention.

5. Maintenance Insomnia

Sleep maintenance insomnia generally refers to the condition where an individual fails to stay asleep throughout the entire duration. This comprises a fragmented sleeping pattern, with most individuals waking up at least once in the middle of their slumber and struggling for a substantial time to fall asleep again.

Just like onset insomnia, this condition also leads to a reduction in the total sleep time, thus leading to sluggishness during the daytime.

6. Paradoxical Insomnia

Individuals with paradoxical insomnia generally develop a feeling that they have been asleep for a time much lesser than their actual sleep time. This leaves them with a false sense of sleep deprivation, which, in turn, can result in reduced energy levels.

Now, individuals having the same type of insomnia may often experience different symptoms. This primarily depends on the stage of insomnia they are suffering from.

Besides facing difficulty in falling asleep, individuals suffering from this condition mostly experience some of the following signs and symptoms of insomnia disease.

• Waking up extremely early in the morning
• Anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and depression
• Fatigue and sleepiness throughout the entire day
• Inattentiveness and lack of concentration
• Microsleeping

Does any of the above strike a familiar chord? 

Then, you must understand what causes insomnia to nip this issue in its bud.

The underlying causes of this sleep disorder may vary across patients, owing to the type and stage of insomnia they are suffering from.

However, some of the most common reasons for developing this condition are as follows:

• Environmental factors: These include uncomfortable weather, excessive noise, unfamiliar surroundings, and bright lights.
• Life stressors: Traumatic and stressful life events, such as the demise of a loved one, job change, ending of a relationship, financial crises, an unnerving medical diagnosis, recuperating from drug addiction, and relocating to a new city, among others, can lead to insomnia.
• Change in sleep schedule: Getting adequate sleep can be difficult if you have had to make changes in your sleep routine due to changes in shift timings at work or jet lag.

While some of these causes may not be that alarming, others can lead to lifelong trouble in terms of serious sleep deprivation.

Although anyone can experience insomnia, the following factors can make individuals more prone to developing this condition.

• Mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD
• Pre-existing health conditions, including hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, hyperthyroidism, and other sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnoea
• Medications for specific conditions, such as certain allergies and the common cold
• Consumption of alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco, and caffeine
• Genetics, i.e., a history of insomnia among family members
• Hormonal shifts due to menopause, pregnancy, and PMS
• Old age, i.e., individuals aged above 60 years, are more likely to develop insomnia owing to several medical conditions and other bodily changes that come with ageing.

Now that you have a fair idea of why insomnia occurs, you must know the ways in which you can get a proper diagnosis. Although there is no specific method to know for sure if a person is suffering from insomnia, healthcare professionals use a combination of the following tests to arrive at a suitable conclusion.

• Physical examination and medical history: The foremost thing your physician will do is perform a routine check that includes checking your vital signs. After that, he or she will ask you about your sleep history, lifestyle habits, and medical history to understand the causes.
• Blood tests: Generally, healthcare professionals prescribe getting a blood test to understand if some other health conditions, such as anaemia and thyroid issues, are causing trouble sleeping.
• Sleep study: Doctors perform this examination to identify contributing sleep problems, including narcolepsy, sleep apnoea, and circadian rhythm disorders.
• Sleep diary: Your healthcare professional may also ask you to maintain a written record of your sleep habits and patterns, such as bedtime, wake time, and caffeine usage, to gauge the quantity and quality of your sleep and your daytime habits that may interfere with your sleep.
• Actigraphy: For better accuracy, you may be asked to wear a motion sensor around your wrist for a period of 3-14 days, which will record your periods of activity and rest. This will help doctors understand the pattern and quality of your sleep better.

Once you get a proper diagnosis of this condition, it is time to focus on how to overcome insomnia.

If you are wondering how to get rid of insomnia, know that this is an extremely common condition that resolves in most cases. 

However, if you have been struggling with this sleep disorder for a long time now, it is time you seek any of the following treatment procedures, according to your physician’s prescription:

• Lifestyle changes: A healthcare professional may advise you to make a few changes to your daily routine, such as reducing smoking and caffeine consumption, maintaining a fixed bedtime, reducing screen time before sleeping, checking your diet, etc.
• Medication: Besides advising to make lifestyle changes, your physician may also prescribe sleeping pills, anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety medications to help regularise your sleep cycle.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): While medicines can help individuals by providing immediate relief, CBT-I helps overcome the root causes of one’s sleep issues. The process involves helping patients identify the habits and thoughts leading to insomnia and replace them with those that aid in a better quality of sleep.

As the popular saying goes, prevention is better than cure! Therefore, it is essential to keep in mind a few measures to prevent insomnia, to avoid developing this discomforting condition in the first place.

• Quit smoking and cut back on the consumption of alcohol and caffeine-rich food items, such as coffee, chocolate, and soda.
• Maintain a specific sleep schedule, even on weekends.
• Stop using electronic gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and televisions, at least half-an-hour prior to bedtime every day.
• Try to remain physically active during the daytime.
• Make sure your bedroom has a quiet and dark ambience while you are sleeping.
• Engage yourself in medication, listen to relaxing music, or read yourself a book before going to bed.

Hopefully, following these tips will keep you from developing insomnia. In the off-chance that you do, the above discussion on ‘what is insomnia’ and its symptoms and treatment procedure can help you identify and overcome this sleep disorder early on.