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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffInsomnia symptoms may include:
- Difficulty falling asleep at night
- Awakening during the night
- Awakening too early
- Not feeling well rested after a night's sleep
- Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
- Irritability, depression or anxiety
- Difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks
- Increased errors or accidents
- Tension headaches
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Ongoing worries about sleep
Someone with insomnia will often take 30 minutes or more to fall asleep and may get only six or fewer hours of sleep for three or more nights a week.
When to see a doctor
If insomnia makes it hard for you to function during the day, see your doctor to determine what might be the cause of your sleep problem and how it can be treated. If your doctor thinks you could have a sleep disorder, you might be referred to a sleep center for special testing.
- Insomnia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/inso/inso_all.html. Accessed Oct. 7, 2010.
- Approach to the patient with a sleep or wakefulness disorder. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec16/ch215/ch215b.html. Accessed Oct. 7, 2010.
- Ancoli-Israel S. Sleep and its disorders in aging populations. Sleep Medicine. 2009;10:S7.
- Doghramji K. The evaluation and management of insomnia. Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2010;31:327.
- Bonnet MH, et al. Overview of insomnia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- Owens JA, et al. Impact of delaying school start time on adolescent sleep, mood, and behavior. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2010;164:608.
- Natural medicines in the clinical management of insomnia. National Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Oct. 8, 2010.
- Cao H, et al. Acupuncture for treatment of insomnia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2009;15:1171.
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