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

Improving sleep after trauma exposure may ease negative consequences

Increasing the amount of time spent asleep immediately after a traumatic experience may ease any negative consequences, suggests a new study conducted by researchers at Washington State University's Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

22 Oct 2020

Better sleep improves next-day mindfulness, finds study

Sleeping an extra 29 minutes each night can be the key to improving mindfulness, a critical resource that has benefits for daily well-being and work performance.

13 Oct 2020

Sleep disorders common during COVID-19 pandemic

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 reveals the significant prevalence of sleep abnormalities among the population in areas affected by COVID-19. This is likely to cause a heavy toll on mental and physical health if sustained over the long run.

13 Oct 2020

Mothers who report increased insomnia symptoms have higher levels of acute COVID-19 anxiety

Many mothers are experiencing an increase in insomnia severity and mild-to-high levels of acute COVID-19 anxiety, according to a new study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College in Israel.

12 Oct 2020

Older adults use cannabis for medical purposes, study finds

With growing interest in its potential health benefits and new legislation favoring legalization in more states, cannabis use is becoming more common among older adults.

7 Oct 2020

WHO survey: COVID-19 halted mental health services in 93% of countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing, according to a new WHO survey.

5 Oct 2020

Study offers explanation for why people's responses to the same drug vary widely

Scientists at Scripps Research have comprehensively mapped how a key class of proteins within cells regulates signals coming in from cell surface receptors.

1 Oct 2020

Study looks at the effect of broken sleep and morning coffee on our metabolism

A strong, black coffee to wake you up after a bad night's sleep could impair control of blood sugar levels, according to a new study.

30 Sep 2020

Cannabinoids can contribute to negative respiratory health events in older adults with COPD

Cannabinoids, a class of prescription pills that contain synthetically-made chemicals found in marijuana, are associated with a 64 per cent increase in death among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to the first published data on the impact of cannabinoids on the respiratory health of individuals with the lung disease.

30 Sep 2020

Researchers investigate molecular mechanism responsible for hypnotic effects of thalidomide

Thalidomide is a medication with several different effects, one of which is promoting sleep in the context of insomnia.

24 Sep 2020

Weighted blanket intervention reduces insomnia severity

Weighted blankets are a safe and effective intervention in the treatment of insomnia, according to Swedish researchers who found that insomnia patients with psychiatric disorders experienced reduced insomnia severity, improved sleep and less daytime sleepiness when sleeping with a weighted chain blanket.

23 Sep 2020

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia provides relief

Insomnia causing sleepless nights, daytime fatigue and poor health outcomes is a cycle worth busting, experts say, with depression, anxiety and stress a common co-occurrence.

23 Sep 2020

FDA announces requirement of class-wide labeling changes for benzodiazepines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today in a Drug Safety Communication that it is requiring an update to the Boxed Warning, the agency's most prominent safety warning, and requiring class-wide labeling changes for benzodiazepines to include the risks of abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence and withdrawal reactions to help improve their safe use.

23 Sep 2020