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

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Treatment of Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia

Screen Time and Insomnia

Latest Insomnia News and Research

Study shows inequalities in addressing post-acute neurological manifestations of COVID-19

Researchers have explored the inequities in understanding and addressing the neurological complications of COVID-19 among marginalized communities in the United States.

19 Jan 2022

A catch-22 trips up some in legal guardianship who try to regain independence

Ten years ago, Nicholas Clouse was riding shotgun in his friend's Camaro when the car jerked and he felt himself flying through the air. Clouse's head slammed against the passenger-side window.

7 Jan 2022

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sleep behavior, emotional stability of people with previous pathologies

Selene Valero and José Gil, researchers at the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy of the University of Valencia, have studied the changes in sleep behaviour and emotional stability of healthy patients and with previous pathologies before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

23 Dec 2021

Doctors advised to prescribe fewer antidepressants and for shorter periods of time

Doctors should prescribe fewer antidepressants and for shorter periods of time, because of the ongoing uncertainties about their effectiveness and the potential severity and durability of the withdrawal symptoms associated with them, suggests a review of the evidence on antidepressant use, published online in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

21 Dec 2021

New review examines the advances and future trends in sleep disorder measurement technology

Sleep disorders and insufficient sleep are major global problems contributing to, e.g., increased health care costs and sick leaves, and reduced quality of life. According to recent estimates, sleep apnea alone affects approximately 1 billion people worldwide, and up to half of the world’s population suffers from insomnia at some point in their lives.

16 Dec 2021

Co-morbid insomnia and sleep apnea linked to greater mortality risk

People who suffer from both insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to suffer from heart problems and are almost 50% more likely to die than those without either condition, say Flinders University researchers, who advise people being tested for one of the disorders be tested for the other.

16 Dec 2021

Changes in trajectory of long COVID symptoms before vaccination

A new preprint describes the results of a study examining this aspect of the disease.

14 Dec 2021

NRG Oncology CC004 trial: Bupropion does not improve sexual desire for female cancer survivors

Despite preliminary supporting evidence that the dopaminergic agent bupropion might improve sexual desire for female cancer survivors, the NRG Oncology CC004 clinical trial determined that bupropion did not improve outcomes when compared to a placebo.

10 Dec 2021

Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy may have risks for younger women, but safe for post-menopausal patients

A study of over 200,500 women who had a hysterectomy for non-cancerous reasons found an increased risk of death in women under 50 years of age when the ovaries and fallopian tubes were also removed during the surgery. The same association was not found in women over 50.

9 Dec 2021

Older people taking anxiety drugs and antidepressants more likely to suffer postoperative delirium

Older people taking a drug used to treat anxiety and insomnia – nitrazepam – as well as those on antidepressants, are twice as likely to suffer postoperative delirium after hip and knee surgery, a new Australian study has found.

9 Dec 2021

Study reveals link between recent cannabis use and extremes of nightly sleep duration

Recent cannabis use is linked to extremes of nightly sleep duration--less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours--reveals a study of a large representative sample of US adults, published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

7 Dec 2021

Researchers dissect the shared genetic architecture of suicide attempts and psychiatric disorders

In the largest genetic study of suicide attempts to date, researchers have identified a region of the genome on chromosome 7 containing DNA variations that increase the risk that a person will attempt suicide.

30 Nov 2021

Can dexamethasone reduce prolonged COVID-19 symptoms?

A new study assesses hospitalized patients after recovering from COVID-19 by comparing the individuals before and after being treated with dexamethasone.

24 Nov 2021

What is the global prevalence of long COVID?

This study aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of information on the prevalence and symptoms of PASC.

18 Nov 2021

Expert explores how our sleeping patterns can be linked to cognitive decline

Dr Greg Elder, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Associate Director of Northumbria Sleep Research explores why a good night's sleep is important and how our sleeping patterns can be linked to conditions like dementia for The Conversation.

15 Nov 2021

Factors predicting cognitive symptoms in long COVID

The researchers focused on finding risk factors for long-term symptom occurrence and severity, with special attention to cognitive impairment.

1 Nov 2021

COVID-19 and subacute neuropsychiatric symptoms in adolescents

A new paper discusses neurologic symptoms in children with COVID-19.

27 Oct 2021

COVID-19 vaccination side effects in the USA

A new study described and compared self-reported side effects of three different COVID-19 vaccines administered between March 19 and July 15, 2021, in the United States.

20 Oct 2021

Mix-and-match booster shots beneficial in boosting SARS-CoV-2 immunity

Should you get a second dose of the same vaccine if you’ve received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot? According to new clinical trial results published on the preprint medRxiv* server, a booster shot of a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine may increase your chances of neutralizing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Oct 2021