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

Latest Insomnia News and Research

Screening for pancreatic cancer using artificial intelligence

Dr. Ananya Malhotra speaks to News-Medical about her research into how pancreatic cancer prognosis could be improved by using artificial intelligence.

3 Aug 2020

People with COVID-19 symptoms more likely to feel lonely and develop psychiatric disorders

People who have or had COVID-19 symptoms are more likely to develop general psychiatric disorders and are lonelier, with women and young people more at risk, says a just-published study co-authored at Cambridge Judge Business School.

13 Jul 2020

Study shows optimistic people sleep better and live longer

Optimists live longer than pessimists and have a lower risk of chronic disease - this has been scientifically validated on multiple occasions.

9 Jul 2020

Injuries could increase for players returning to contact sports after prolonged training restrictions

As professional sports look to make a phased return behind closed doors across much of Europe, researchers from the University of Bath caution that the prolonged individual training players have been exposed to for months is insufficient to help athletes maintain the physical fitness and mental strength they need for competition.

6 Jul 2020

Morning walks can improve the sleeping habits of bypass surgery patients

Trouble sleeping after heart bypass surgery? Morning walks are the solution, according to research presented today on ACNAP Essentials 4 You, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

3 Jul 2020

Study links prenatal cannabis use with risk of sleep problems in children

Use marijuana while pregnant, and your child is more likely to suffer sleep problems as much as a decade later, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study of nearly 12,000 youth.

2 Jul 2020

Infant sleep problems can be linked to mental disorders in adolescence

Specific sleep problems among babies and very young children can be linked to mental disorders in adolescents, a new study has found.

1 Jul 2020

Innovate UK backs SleepCogni’s pivot to virtual care and remote monitoring

SleepCogni has been awarded a third round of funding from the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK in the form of a continuity grant.

29 Jun 2020

Integrating pharmacists into GP practices can optimize treatment plans in primary care

Research undertaken by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences suggests that integrating pharmacists into general practice (GP) teams facilitates collaboration to optimize treatment plans for patients with long-term medical needs and alleviate pressures on GP practices.

29 Jun 2020

Nurse-guided Internet-delivered CBT-I may help treat insomnia

Guidelines recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first line of treatment for insomnia in general practice, but CBT-I is rarely available.

25 Jun 2020

Health care workers report high levels of distress during the height of COVID-19

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, health care workers on the front lines had high levels of acute stress, anxiety, and depression, a study by researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian has found.

23 Jun 2020

Online program alleviates insomnia in AYA cancer survivors, study shows

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) who have survived cancer often continue to suffer from insomnia long after treatment ends, interfering with a range of daily activities.

22 Jun 2020

Study delves into causes of post-trauma nightmare occurrences

It's been estimated that up to 88% of survivors of rape or molestation suffer from persistent nightmares that can occur multiple times per week, seemingly at random.

15 Jun 2020

New study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on sleep

An international group of researchers led by Professor Colin Espie from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford is investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep and daily rhythms in adults.

15 Jun 2020

Sleep fragmentation associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis

Disrupted nightly sleep and clogged arteries tend to sneak up on us as we age. And while both disorders may seem unrelated, a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, helps explain why they are, in fact, pathologically intertwined.

5 Jun 2020

New risk genes for problematic alcohol use discovered

Do you have what is known as problematic alcohol use? Then statistically you will also be particularly genetically predisposed to develop e.g. depression and insomnia. And to become dependent on drugs and tobacco. This is shown by a new international study in which researchers from iPSYCH are involved.

4 Jun 2020

Chronobiological treatment can help treat insomnia

Insomnia disorder is the second-most common mental health problem and a major risk factor for depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) is the treatment of choice and has successfully been provided through the Internet (ICBTI).

29 May 2020

AI helps unravel mysteries of sleep health

Algorithms and deep learning has enabled Flinders University sleep researchers to dive deep into one of the mysteries of sleep health.

18 May 2020

Children who have siblings with ASD are at higher risk of being diagnosed with the condition

A small study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that sleep problems among children who have a sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may further raise the likelihood of an ASD diagnosis, compared to at-risk children who do not have difficulty sleeping.

8 May 2020

New breakthrough may help cure prion disease

A molecular biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who has for decades studied the nightmarish group of fatal diseases caused by prions - chronic wasting disease in deer, mad cow in cattle and its human analog - credits a middle-of-the-night dream for a crucial insight, a breakthrough she hopes could lead to a cure.

6 May 2020