Do you usually complain of being unable of remaining asleep for a reasonable period of time? Incapable of closing your eyes or rest your mind for more than a few minutes at a time? You are likely experiencing insomnia. Some of its causes are anxiety, fear, stress, medications, herbs or even caffeine. It would be helpful if you know your condition well enough. There are several different degrees of insomnia; three types of insomnia have been clearly identified: transient, acute, and chronic. The patterns are onset, middle-of-the-night, middle and late insomnia.

Types of insomnia

1. Transient insomnia lasts from days to weeks. It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, depression, or by stress. Its consequences – sleepiness and impaired psychomotor performance – are similar to those of sleep
deprivation.
2. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.

3. Chronic insomnia lasts for years at a time. It can be caused by another disorder, or it can be a primary disorder. Its effects can vary according to its causes. They might include sleepiness, muscular fatigue, hallucinations, and/or mental fatigue; but people with chronic insomnia often show increased alertness. Some people that live with this disorder see things as though they were happening in slow motion, wherein moving objects seem to blend together. It can cause double vision.

Patterns of Insomnia

The pattern of insomnia is related to the etiology. Insomnia affects 1 in 33 people.

1. Onset insomnia – difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night, often associated with anxiety disorders.

2. Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia – Insomnia characterized by difficulty returning to sleep after awakening in the middle of the night or waking too early in the morning. It is also referred to as nocturnal awakenings, encompasses middle and terminal insomnia.

3. Middle insomnia – waking during the middle of the night, difficulty maintaining sleep. Often associated with pain disorders or medical illness.

4. Terminal (or late) insomnia – early morning waking, often a characteristic of clinical depression.