Primary Insomnia
Medical Author:
Aparna Ranjan, MD
Coauthor:
Angela Gentili, MD
Medical Editor:
Erasmo A Passaro, MD
Medical Editor:
Mary L Windle, PharmD
Medical Editor:
Stephen Berman, MD, PhD
Primary Insomnia OverviewPrimary insomnia is sleeplessness that cannot be attributed to a medical, psychiatric, or environmental cause (such as drug abuse or medications). It is characterized by the following:
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Sleep Disorders
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Primary Insomnia
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among people. Insomnia is defined as difficultly falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, resulting in inadequate length of sleep and/or poor quality of sleep, which may affect a person's ability to function during the day. Insomnia also may affect quality of life, work performance, and overall health. Insomnia is not a disease, but a symptom associated with a variety of medical, psychiatric, or sleep disorders.
What Causes Insomnia?
Insomnia is usually a transient or short-term condition (lasting less than 3 months). In some cases insomnia can become chronic (more than 6 months).
Transient insomnia specifically lasts up to 1 week and is associated with acute situational stress factors such as a job interview or exam. It usually resolves once the person has adjusted to stress factor, or it is no longer a concern. It can however reemerge when new or similar stres...
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Primary Insomnia »
Primary insomnia is sleeplessness that is not attributable to a medical, psychiatric, or environmental cause.
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