Primary Insomnia

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Medical Author:

Aparna Ranjan, MD

Coauthor:

Angela Gentili, MD

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• Primary Insomnia Overview
• Primary Insomnia Causes
• Primary Insomnia Symptoms
• Primary Insomnia Diagnosis
• Primary Insomnia Self-Care at Home
• Primary Insomnia Medications
• More Primary Insomnia Medications
• Primary Insomnia Other Therapy
• Primary Insomnia Prognosis
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Primary insomnia is sleeplessness or the perception of poor quality sleep that cannot be attributed to a medical, psychiatric, or environmental cause (such as drug abuse or medications). It is characterized by the following:

• A 1-month or longer history of at least one of the following: a) difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or b) nonrestorative sleep.
• Sleep disturbance (or associated daytime fatigue) causing significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
• To be considered primary insomnia, the sleep disturbance must not occur exclusively during the course of narcolepsy, breathing-related sleep disorder, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, or a parasomnia.
• The sleep disturbance does not occur as a result of another mental disorder.
• The sleep disturbance does not occur as a result of drug or alcohol dependence or any medical condition.

Must Read Articles Related to Primary Insomnia

Disorders That Disrupt Sleep (Parasomnias) Parasomnias are disruptive sleep-related disorders. They are characterized by undesirable physical or verbal behaviors or experiences. Parasomnias occur in asso...learn more >>

Insomnia Insomnia affects most people at some point in their lifetime. Insomnia is actually a symptoms of a condition, disease, or situation. Non-medical treatment of in...learn more >>

Narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes overwhelming and severe daytime sleepiness that often occurs at inappropriate times and places. The daytime sleep att...learn more >>

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