What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder marked by repeated episodes of difficulty falling or staying asleep, which over time can sap your energy, impair concentration and work performance, lower your mood, and even affect your long-term health. Insomnia may be acute (short-lived), lasting just days or weeks. But if poor sleep occurs more than three nights a week for at least three months, it’s classified as chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia falls into two groups:
- Primary, not linked to any other health issue or circumstance
- Secondary, developing as a symptom of another condition, medication, or situation
Nearly 60% of Australians report experiencing at least one insomnia symptom on a regular basis.
Signs and symptoms
Insomnia usually shows up as one or more of these:
- Trouble drifting off
- Inability to stay asleep for as long as you’d like
- Waking during the night and struggling to return to sleep
Other clues you might be dealing with insomnia include:
- Waking unrefreshed
- Daytime tiredness or lethargy
- Unintended dozing
- Feeling irritable, anxious, or low
- Difficulty focusing
- Increased mistakes or accidents
- Persistent worry about your sleep
What causes insomnia?
Experts still haven’t fully pinned down why primary insomnia occurs, though changes in brain chemistry are believed to play a part. By contrast, secondary insomnia often arises from stress and lifestyle habits that disrupt healthy sleep, such as:
- Chronic stress
- Frequent travel across time zones
- Shift work
- Physical inactivity
- Daytime napping
- Irregular bedtimes or an unsuitable sleep environment
- Large evening meals
- Use of stimulants like caffeine, nicotine or alcohol
- Age-related sleep changes
Sleep can also be disturbed by various health-related factors, including:
- Certain medications (e.g. some antidepressants, steroids, cold-remedy ingredients)
- Mental health disorders
- Other sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea)
- Chronic pain
- Pregnancy
- Other medical conditions
How is insomnia treated?
If your sleep problems continue for more than four weeks or begin to interfere with your daily activities, you should see your doctor. Treatment varies according to the cause. In the case of secondary insomnia, care usually starts by addressing any underlying conditions and adopting healthy sleep practices (often called sleep hygiene). When no clear trigger is found, you might be referred for specialist care such as cognitive-behavioural therapy. Additionally, your doctor may recommend a sleep study to detect issues like sleep apnoea.
What you can do
Although sleeping tablets can provide quick relief, they’re not suitable for ongoing use, they may become less effective with time and carry a risk of dependence. Prioritizing consistent, restorative sleep habits is a far more sustainable approach. You could try:
- Going to bed and waking up at the same times every day, even on weekends
- Exercising regularly, but avoiding vigorous workouts close to bedtime
- Limiting naps during daylight hours
- Cutting back on caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine
- Steering clear of large evening meals or going to bed very hungry
- Establishing a calming pre-sleep routine (for example, reading, soft music, or a warm bath)
- Turning off screens at least an hour before bedtime
- Avoiding tense or stressful conversations before you sleep
- Writing a short to-do list for the next day before you lie down
- Practising stress-management techniques, or seeking professional support if needed
- Checking with your doctor or pharmacist whether any of your medications could be disrupting your sleep