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Rethink Insomnia

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Frequently asked questions
about insomnia

Defining insomnia disorder

Insomnia disorder is defined as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and/or waking too early in the morning, experiencing symptoms at least 3 times a week for 3 months or more.1-3,6
These difficulties may affect daytime activities by impacting on your mood, concentration, memory and making you feel tired during the day.1-3

1 in 10 people live with insomnia disorder.3

If you’re one of them, know that you’re not alone and there are many different methods for managing insomnia out there.

Both acute insomnia and insomnia disorder involve having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or waking too early at least 3 times a week.1-3
Acute insomnia lasts for less than 3 months, and when the trigger of the insomnia resolves, such as a stressful time at work, the insomnia goes away.1,4
Insomnia disorder, on the other hand, is when trouble sleeping lasts for 3 months or longer with sleepless nights that continue even after the trigger resolves.1,4-5

Trouble sleeping at least

3x

a week

Sure. Lots of people experience a bad night’s sleep once in a while.

But when this happens at least 3 times a week, it’s more than just trouble sleeping – it may be insomnia2. Insomnia can impact your days as well as your nights.2,6
It’s a recognised medical condition that requires appropriate medical treatment.2

Symptoms and causes

You might already be familiar with the nighttime symptoms of insomnia – difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep and waking up earlier than you want to.2,6
What you might not know is that there are also many daytime symptoms of insomnia disorder, because it doesn’t just impact your nights, it can affect how you feel in the day too.1-3,6-8

Some of the daytime symptoms of insomnia disorder include:

  • Morning sleepiness
  • Fatigue
  • Bad work performance
  • Reduced social interactions
  • Poor concentration
  • Irritability and bad moods
Lots of various factors can stimulate the brain and affect your sleep cycle like excess noise, a room that is too hot or cold, an uncomfortable bed, alcohol, caffeine or nicotine9,10 – to name just a few.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s also important to limit them and maintain good sleep hygiene9. Sleep hygiene means having a regular routine to help improve sleep.

You can learn more about sleep hygiene on the NHS website.

This is an external link to an NHS website

Different things can lead to trouble sleeping, including worries, stress, or going through a difficult time5.

Once these triggers resolve, or as time passes, most people are able to sleep again2-4. But in insomnia disorder, even if the triggers that originally caused trouble sleeping resolve, you may still not be able to sleep2-4.

Some people are also more likely to experience insomnia disorder than others, such as older adults or women who are going through the menopause.6,11-13
Some people are more likely to experience insomnia than others, such as older adults as well as those who are menstruating, pregnant, or women who are going through the menopause.6,11-15

Plus, being exposed to stressful triggers can also increase your risk of developing insomnia. These triggers could be a stressful time at work, losing someone you love, being involved in an accident, or financial difficulties.5

That being said, having good sleep habits may help reduce the risk of insomnia for many people.14-29 Avoiding daytime napping, keeping your bedroom cool, and switching screens for music or reading are just a few sleep hygiene tips that may help you get a good night’s rest.16-17,20-21

Find out what good sleep habits are and how they may help.

This is an external link to an NHS website

Diagnosis

Insomnia is a medical condition that can be diagnosed by doctors.2
Therefore, it’s important to tell your doctor about any daytime and nighttime symptoms you’re experiencing and how long you’ve been experiencing them for as this is the only way they’ll know if you’ve got insomnia disorder or not.22
A doctor may also ask you to track your sleep patterns for a few weeks and share your medical history with them so they can get a better picture of you and your relationship with sleep.22

Here’s a tool that can help with your conversation with your doctor.

If you have insomnia disorder, know that you are not alone – 1 in 10 people are going through the same thing.3

Insomnia disorder is a recognised medical condition, and help is available. If you’re struggling with your sleep, speaking with a doctor can be a good step towards finding the right support for you.

To prepare for your conversation, here’s a tool that can help: download the conversation starter

Get ready to talk with a healthcare professional

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References

1. Ellis JG, et al. J Psych Res. 2012; 46: 1278–1285.
2. Riemann D, et al. J Sleep Res. 2017; 26(6): 675–700.
3. Vargas I, et al. Brain Sci. 2020; 10(2): 71.
4. Basta M, et al. Sleep Med Clin. 2007; 2(2): 279–291.
5. Wright CD, et al. Front Psychol. 2019; 10: 2498.
6. Roth T, J Clin Sleep Med. 2007; 3(5 suppl): S7–S10.
7. Riemann D, et al. Sleep Med Rev. 2010; 14(1): 19–31.
8. Killgore W, et al. Neuroreport. 2013; 24(5): 233–40.
9. Spadola CE, et al. Sleep. 2019 ; 42(11):zsz136.
10. O’Callaghan F, et al. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2018; 11: 263–271.
11. Sleep Foundation. Sleep Statistics. Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-facts-statistics. Accessed August 2022.
12. Mallampalli MP and Carter CL. J Womens Health. 2014; 23(7): 553–562.
13. Pengo MF, et al. Chest. 2018; 154(1): 196–206.
14. Maurer LF, et al. Sleep. 2020; 12;43(11):zsaa096.
15. Stutz J, et al. Sports Med. 2019; 49(2):269–287.
16. Harding EC, et al. Front Neurosci. 2019; 13:336.
17. Shechter A, et al. J Psychiatr Res. 2018; 96:196–202.
18. Banno M, et al. Peer J. 2018; 6: e5172.
19. Dolezal BA, et al. Adv Prev Med. 2017; 1364387.
20. Ancoli-Israel S and Martin JL. J Clin Sleep Med. 2006; ;2(3):333–42.
21. Okamoto-Mizuno and Mizuno. J Physiol Anthropol. 2012; 31(1):14.
22. Saddichha S. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2010; 13(2): 94–102.
23. Anderson KN. J Thorac Dis. 2018; 10(Suppl 1): S94–S102.
24. Ong JC, et al. Sleep. 2014; 37(9):1553–63.
25. Lie JD, et al. P T. 2015; 40(11): 759–768, 771.
26. Bateson AN. Sleep Med. 2004; Suppl 1:S9–15.
27. Krystal AD, et al. World Psychiatry. 2019; 18(3): 337–352.
28. Madari S, et al. Neurotherapeutics. 2021; 8(1):44–52.
29. Everitt H, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018; 5(5):CD010753.

EUC-IDO-00076 | March 2026