Insomnia

Insomnia can cause problems during the day, such as excessive sleepiness, fatigue, trouble thinking clearly or staying focused, or feeling depressed or irritable. It is not defined by the number of hours you sleep every night. Although the amount of sleep a person needs varies, most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night.

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition in which it is difficult to get to sleep, or to remain soundly asleep, resulting in too short and too low-quality sleep which affects normal functioning. It causes fatigue and daytime sleepiness. It may be classified as acute, lasting a few days or weeks, or chronic, when it lasts longer than a month.

Insomnia Causes

Insomnia Symptoms

Insomnia Treatment

Insomnia in Pregnancy

Promoting Sounder Sleep in Older Adults

Insomnia in Children

Sleep-Onset Insomnia

Causes of Sleep-Onset Insomnia

Treatment of Sleep-Onset Insomnia

Middle of the Night Insomnia

Middle of the Night Insomnia and Biphasic Sleeping

See more featured articles »

Treatment of Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia

Screen Time and Insomnia

Latest Insomnia News and Research

The Future of CBD research, marketing, and regulation

In this interview, Professor Ted Dinan, Medical Director at Atlantia Clinical Trials, and Asa Waldstein, Principal at Supplement Advisory Group, discuss Atlantia’s expertise in clinical trials for CBD.

From Atlantia Clinical Trials 28 Feb 2025

FDA-approved technology offers personalized treatment for Parkinson’s symptoms

Starting today, people with Parkinson's disease will have a new treatment option, thanks to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of groundbreaking new technology.

24 Feb 2025

Understanding the risks of taking Z-drugs for insomnia

ZZZZZ. Remember sleeping through the night? Not lately?

24 Feb 2025

Understanding the causes and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea

Do you feel tired or have a headache when you wake up in the morning? Something might be going wrong while you sleep that you don't know about: obstructive sleep apnea (pronounced app-nee-uh).

24 Feb 2025

Workplace bullying linked to sleep problems in employees and their partners

Workplace bullying affects not only the employee's sleep but their partner's too, according to new research published today.

22 Feb 2025

Can chili peppers improve ADHD symptoms? Scientists explore their gut-brain connection

Chili peppers may influence ADHD symptoms by modulating the gut microbiome, with capsaicin, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids showing potential effects on neurotransmitters and inflammation. However, clinical trials are needed to confirm their efficacy.

20 Feb 2025

Physical activity improves sleep quality in older adults during social isolation

A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) on January 15, 2025, in Volume 17, Issue 1, titled "Association between physical activity practice and sleep quality of older people in social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and Health Guidelines and future studies for the post-COVID period: a systematic review."

11 Feb 2025

Mental health drives med student dropout rate

Around 1 in 5 UK medical students considers dropping out of medical school, with mental health issues a key contributor to their intention to abandon medicine, suggest the results of an observational study published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

11 Feb 2025

Fruit fly research uncovers brain signals behind alcohol-induced insomnia

Alcohol use disorder, which affects over 10% of Americans, can lead to persistent and serious insomnia. Difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep can last even after months of sobriety, increasing the risk of relapse.

6 Feb 2025

How exercise resets your body clock and improves sleep patterns

Exercise improves sleep quality and helps treat sleep disorders by regulating circadian rhythms, reducing stress, and enhancing physiological functions like melatonin production and autonomic balance.

4 Feb 2025

Study reveals mixed results for common stimulant in treating binge eating disorder

Patients taking a commonly used stimulant for the treatment of binge eating disorder experienced mixed results, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

3 Feb 2025

From gut health to metabolism: How sleep controls more than you think

Study reveals that sleep traits predict over 15% of body characteristics across 15 physiological systems, with visceral fat, cardiovascular health, and metabolism deeply intertwined with sleep patterns.

29 Jan 2025

Lifestyle choices are driving America’s heart disease epidemic, AHA warns

The AHA's 2025 report highlights alarming trends in cardiovascular disease, obesity, and lifestyle factors, emphasizing the urgent need for healthier behaviors to curb rising healthcare costs and mortality.

28 Jan 2025

Positive mental well-being can help maintain a physically active lifestyle

According to a recent study, the tendency to experience positive affectivity contributed to people being physically active or even increasing their activity during the COVID-19 restrictions.

24 Jan 2025

Researchers construct a detailed structural map of GABAA receptors in the human brain

Certain proteins found in the human brain have long been known to be critical to controlling how brain cells communicate with each other.

22 Jan 2025

New gene-editing treatment extends lifespan in mice with prion disease

Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have developed a gene-editing treatment for prion disease that extends lifespan by about 50 percent in a mouse model of the fatal neurodegenerative condition.

15 Jan 2025

The impact of fall-risk medications on injuries in COPD patients

People with COPD experience more falls and related injuries requiring medical care when using common fall-risk increasing drugs, according to a new study. The study is published in the November 2024 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal.

15 Jan 2025

Machine learning technique can transform hospital care for long-COVID patients

Across the United States, no hospital is the same. Equipment, staffing, technical capabilities, and patient populations can all differ.

10 Jan 2025

Monoamine neurotransmitters emerge as architects of brain physiology

A collaborative effort between Mount Sinai and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has shed valuable light on how monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and now histamine help regulate brain physiology and behavior through chemical bonding of these monoamines to histone proteins, the core DNA-packaging proteins of our cells.

9 Jan 2025

Sedentary jobs linked to increased risk of insomnia symptoms

People whose jobs are highly sedentary – an estimated 80% of the modern workforce – experience a much higher risk of insomnia symptoms, according to a new study led by University of South Florida psychologist Claire Smith.

7 Jan 2025