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In general, insomnia can be grouped into two distinct types: acute and chronic. Acute insomnia is a sleep disorder that lasts for a short period of time (less than 2-weeks) and is usually due to some type of stressful "trigger" such as loss of a job or the death of a family member or close friend. Chronic insomnia is a disorder of sleep that lasts for one-month or longer and most commonly affects women, older people, and those with a chronic medical problem or psychiatric disturbance.

Insomnia can also be classified into two major groups depending upon the cause: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia

Primary Insomnia

There are several types of primary insomnia that are recognized that include:

• Idiopathic insomnia

  • usually begins in infancy or childhood
  • persists throughout adulthood
  • cause is unknown

• Psychophysiologic insomnia

  • a conditioned response whereby a person becomes emotionally and physically aroused and active before going to sleep instead of feeling drowsy and sleepy
  • often associated with a particular triggering event that causes acute insomnia
  • usually persists as chronic insomnia despite resolution of the triggering event that led to the acute insomnia

• Paradoxical insomnia - a condition in which the patient complains of not getting sufficient sleep but an objective sleep test (polysomnography) does not support this complaint.

Secondary Insomnia

Insomnia secondary to other causes is much more common than primary insomnia. There are several types of secondary insomnia:

• Adjustment insomnia - insomnia caused by some type of psychological stress or a stressful social situation.

• Inadequate sleep hygiene - insomnia caused by poor lifestyle habits that interfere with sleep.

• Insomnia due to an underlying medical condition such as:

  • restless legs syndrom
  • periodic limb movement disorder
  • sleep apnea syndrome
  • narcolepsy
  • chronic pain

• Insomnia due to medications or other substances:

  • side-effects of some medications
  • drugs of abuse
  • alcohol
  • caffeine