What are the Main Types of Insomnia?

Insomnia is just insomnia, right? There's no different types of insomnia, just different reactions, different bodies... well, you know, that's not true - though the majority of people don't realize it.

There are three main types of insomnia, and they can affect different people differently. With these three types, over 64 million people are affected in the US alone. Millions more around the globe have this problem, too.

What are the main types, and where might you fall in?

Transient Insomnia

This form of insomnia affects more people than any other, and many people might not even consider it 'insomnia' - they don't realize that it's out of the ordinary, and often go on with their lives.

Transient insomnia is when you lose only a few nights sleep. Maybe a big test is coming up, a possible promotion that you're worried about, or bills that you don't know how you're going to pay.

This type of insomnia happens to the majority of us at one point or another, and it's very common that we just get over it. We realize that, yes, we can't sleep - we know why, and it's okay in the end.

Acute Insomnia

Ever feel like you're having a 'streak' of insomnia? Maybe a week - maybe two - and then you find that you can, slowly but surely get to sleep again. Sometimes it can be triggered by stress, or a big event, or maybe even just something that's been on your mind.

With these types of insomnia - both acute and transient - rarely need medical attention, because they do eventually go away - they get better, and you, the sufferer, would eventually recover.

Only some of us will experience this - certainly not all of us will suffer for so long with insomnia.

Eventually, acute insomnia can go away on its own - it can be a week, or could be two. But it will go away.

Chronic Insomnia

Chronic insomnia is the most serious type of insomnia that you can experience, and it can seriously disrupt your life, your relationships, and even your job.

Chronic insomnia is when you're experiencing insomnia for long periods of time. Maybe a few nights a week you can sleep alright - but you keep coming back to the sleepless nights, the issues with staying asleep... it just keeps happening.

It's hard to shake this sort of insomnia, and many times, you'll need some sort of natural or medical intervention in order to successfully get your sleep, and your life, back.

Overall...

There are three main types of insomnia - and if you feel like you're experiencing them, take a hard look at how you're really feeling, and how long you've been experiencing your insomnia.

If you can figure out what type of insomnia you have, you're one step closer to getting sleep.