Types of Insomnia

There are several types of Insomnia:

o Transient (short term) insomnia lasts from a single night to a few weeks. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. If this form of insomnia continues to occur from time to time, the insomnia is classified as intermittent.
o Intermittent (on and off) insomnia is short term, which happens from time to time. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
o Chronic (on-going) insomnia occurs at least 3 nights a week over a month or more. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month. Chronic insomnia is either primary or secondary:
o Primary insomnia is not related to any other health problem.
o Secondary insomnia can be caused by a medical condition (such as cancer, asthma, or arthritis), drugs, stress or a mental health problem (such as depression), or a poor sleep environment (such as too much light or noise, or a bed partner who snores).
o PSYCHO-REACTIVE INSOMNIA: Psycho-reactive Insomnia is generally caused by tension. It is generally worry that is keeping the person awake. The worry can become compounded when the Insomnia suffer begins to worry about falling asleep. Some people worry that they may become ill or die from lack of sleep.
o ENDOGENOUS INSOMNIA: This is usually caused by a discomfort within the body ranging from pain to indigestion.
o EXOGENOUS INSOMNIA: This is caused by external disturbances such as noise or a TV that is too loud. This is the easiest type of sleep disturbance to overcome.
o FUNCTIONAL INSOMNIA: This is caused by a physical problem in the subject's sleep-wakefulness center in the brain.