• Transient insomnia lasts for a few days .
• Short-term insomnia lasts no more than three weeks .
• Chronic insomnia occurs when a person has difficulty falling asleep , staying asleep , or experiences non-refreshing sleep for at least three nights a week for one month or longer . Normal daily functioning is usually impaired .
When insomnia is the sole complaint of a patient it is considered Primary Chronic Insomnia . But there are also secondary disorders such as :
Sleep apnea - A sleep disorder caused by difficulty breathing during sleep . For more information , visit www . sleepapnea . org .
Restless Legs Syndrome - A sleep disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs or feet . These can be a creeping sensation , a burning , itching , or tugging feeling . Moving the legs around seems to relieve it . For more information , visit www . rls . org .
Sometimes certain drugs and medications can create sleep disturbance . This can happen either when taking the medication or while withdrawing from it .
When a person has some emotional difficulties , he can have trouble sleeping . If you find that when you go to bed and lay there worrying about numerous matters or if you are extremely sad or have a loss of interest , and this goes on for a number of weeks , you should consult your physician . Sometimes insomnia is defined as an inability to sleep at conventional times . There is a condition where people fall asleep very late at night or in early morning hours , but then they sleep normally . Or sometimes , as occurs with older people , they have excessive sleepiness in the morning or awaken very early in the morning .