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 Symptoms

Middle of the Night Insomnia and Biphasic Sleeping

Causes of Sleep-Onset Insomnia

Treatment of Sleep-Onset Insomnia

Screen Time and Insomnia

Insomnia in Pregnancy

Sleep-Onset Insomnia

Promoting Sounder Sleep in Older Adults

Insomnia in Children

Insomnia Causes

Insomnia Treatment

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Middle of the Night Insomnia

Treatment of Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia

Latest Insomnia News and Research

Mediterranean diet success looks different for women and men, study of 4,000 adults reveals

A Mediterranean lifestyle survey of over 4,000 adults across seven countries found that while men and women scored similarly on overall adherence, they achieved this through different patterns of diet, exercise, and well-being. Tailored strategies may be needed to support gender-specific improvements in health behaviors.

18 Aug 2025

New update to the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria highlights safer pharmacologic options for older adults

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has released a landmark update to its list of alternatives to medications listed in the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria - the most widely adopted guidelines to help clinicians identify potentially inappropriate medications for older adults.

18 Aug 2025

Study finds two-way link between gut bacteria and insomnia

There seem to be reciprocal links between certain groups of gut bacteria and the risk of insomnia, suggests a Mendelian randomization study, published in the open access journal General Psychiatry.

12 Aug 2025

Lavender oil could speed recovery after brain surgery

Lavender essential oil aromatherapy improves sleep quality and reduces postoperative delirium in brain surgery patients, offering a natural aid for recovery.

12 Aug 2025

Challenges and promise of meditation apps in modern mental health care

Do you have a meditation app on your smartphone, computer or wearable device? Well, you're not alone.

8 Aug 2025

Gender gaps in Mediterranean eating and living

Gender differences in Mediterranean diet adherence impact health outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to promote healthier lifestyles.

8 Aug 2025

Alzheimer’s risk factors look different for men and women

Research on Alzheimer's risk factors shows significant sex differences, with implications for diagnosis and treatment in early-onset and late-onset cases.

6 Aug 2025

Herbal remedies show promise for treating depression

This scoping review analyzes OTC products for depression, uncovering effective treatments and emphasizing the need for further studies on herbal efficacy.

4 Aug 2025

Tailored granola transforms gut bacteria and improves mood

A study reveals that custom granola can boost gut health and mood by increasing beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acids based on individual microbiota.

4 Aug 2025

Which GLP-1 meds have the most side effects? Study of 60,000 Facebook posts gives answers

Researchers analyzed nearly 60,000 public Facebook posts to identify real-world adverse events linked to GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medications. Gastrointestinal symptoms were most common, while mental health concerns and tirzepatide-specific side effects were also flagged.

28 Jul 2025

Republicans call Medicaid rife with fraudsters. This man sees no choice but to break the rules.

As congressional Republicans finalized Medicaid work requirements in President Donald Trump's budget bill, one man who relies on that government-subsidized health coverage was trying to coax his old car to start after an eight-hour shift making sandwiches.

23 Jul 2025

Novel polysaccharide from Albizzia julibrissin shows promise against pancreatic cancer

Albizzia julibrissin is a widely distributed plant in China. Its dried stem bark has been used in traditional oriental medicine to treat insomnia, diuresis, sthenia, ascaricide, and confusion.

21 Jul 2025

Can probiotics help you sleep better?

A new meta-analysis shows that probiotic supplements can modestly improve sleep quality and reduce depressive symptoms in people with insomnia, with no significant safety concerns. However, effects on total sleep time and sleep efficiency remain uncertain, and evidence strength varies across outcomes.

20 Jul 2025

New review identifies promising and under-researched OTC depression aids

Most people have heard of St John's Wort and omega-3s. But did you know there are a lot more over-the-counter herbal products and supplements out there targeting depression? In our review of clinical trials of these products, we found 64 different over-the-counter (OTC) products that have been evaluated for depression – but with differing levels of evidence for each.

16 Jul 2025

Yoga, Tai Chi, walking and jogging found to improve sleep and ease insomnia

Yoga, Tai Chi, walking and jogging may be the best forms of exercise to improve sleep quality and ease insomnia, suggest the findings of a comparative pooled data analysis published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.

15 Jul 2025

FAU neuroscientist receives NIH grant to study amphetamine effects on the brain

Lucia Carvelli, Ph.D., associate professor of neuroscience at Florida Atlantic University's Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and a member of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, has received a $571,675 grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance critical research into how amphetamines affect brain function.

15 Jul 2025

Insomnia may be the missing link between ADHD and low life satisfaction

Insomnia could explain why adults with ADHD traits report having a lower quality of life, according to new research led by the University of Southampton and the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience.

15 Jul 2025

How a simple blood test can forecast future health risks

Plasma proteomics reveals that the biological ages of key organs, especially the brain and immune system, strongly predict the risk of future disease and early death. These organ-specific “clocks” provide a new tool for identifying those at highest risk and personalizing preventive care.

10 Jul 2025

Slower speech response linked to sleepiness in older adults

A new study led by UCLA investigators shows that Verbal Reaction Time (VRT), the amount of time it takes a person to respond verbally, can be a marker of sleepiness in older adults.

9 Jul 2025