Definition

Insomnia is the inability to get an adequate amount of sleep. The difficulty can be in falling asleep, remaining asleep, or both. Insomnia is a common disorder that affects millions of people. It can be caused by many different conditions, diseases, and circumstances.

Description

Insomnia is a very common condition that probably affects most people at one time or another. However, it tends to occur more often in certain groups of people. For example, it is more common in women and older adults. People who are divorced, widowed, or separated seem to have the problem more often than those who are single or married.

Short-term, or transient, insomnia usually lasts no more than a few days. Long-term, or chronic, insomnia lasts for more than three weeks. Long-term insomnia is more of a problem. People who are deprived of sleep for extended periods of time are at risk...