Factsheets - Insomnia (Sleep Disorder)

If you are suffering from insomnia, you do not need anyone to tell you what it is. You should know however that you are not alone. In this fast-paced, stressful society that we live in, more and more people are now suffering from insomnia. There are different types of insomnia and different causes for insomnia. The treatment will depend on the type.

Transient (short term insomnia) occurs when you have problems sleeping for a single night or up to a few weeks. This is the most common type of insomnia. Your body's biological clock will eventually set itself back on track after awhile. This type of insomnia is usually caused by the following factors:

• stress
• change in your environment
• temperature extremes
• outside noise
• medication side effects
• change in your sleep schedule, such as jet lag

Intermittent insomnia occurs when you have short term insomnia that occurs from time to time. It is usually caused by the same factors as transient insomnia.

Chronic insomnia is difficulty sleeping most nights and lasts at least a month. It can be triggered by all the factors listed in transient insomnia plus the following factors:

• Chronic pain - people with debilitating illnesses suffer from insomnia more.
• Weight - obese people generally have more sleeping problems.
• Heavy weekly drinking.
• Age - more commonly, people over 60 are prone to insomnia, but more and more middle-age (45-64) people are getting it.
• Gender - more females get insomnia than males, especially during menopause.
• History of depression.