The truth is that not many people know the true definition of insomnia. So, it can be hard to tell if you have it and, if so, what type of insomnia you have. That can make it nearly impossible to treat your sleeping problems. To start with, you need to understand the four main types of insomnia.

Falling:

Many people define insomnia as trouble falling asleep at night. If you want to go to bed at a decent hour, but often lie awake until the wee hours of the morning, you could have that type of insomnia problem.

Staying:

What you may not realize is that trouble staying asleep can also be an indication of a problem. It’s true that sometimes a noise can wake a person up at night. That’s not a sign of insomnia. If you frequently wake up for no reason multiple times, though, it could be a sign of trouble.

Waking:

Another problem is waking up one time, but too early. If you fall asleep fine, but wake up well before you set your alarm clock all the time, you could be suffering from that form of insomnia.

Quality:

Finally, there’s poor sleep quality. Poor sleep quality means that you go to bed when you want and get up when you want. You just don’t feel any more rested after sleeping. Why? Well, basically because you aren’t getting the right quality of sleep. That could mean a number of things…

One is that you may not be reaching a deep sleep because of some sort of distraction, such as a light or a sound. Another is that you could actually have sleep apnea, meaning that you stop breathing for small bursts during sleep. Those bursts of time (usually a matter of 5 seconds or so) can be just enough to disrupt your sleep pattern.

You see, you’ve probably been looking at your insomnia as a medical disorder on its own. The reality, though, is that it can often just be a symptom of a disorder or other issue, like sleep apnea.

If you want to know for sure if you have insomnia, talk to your doctor. He or she should be able to help you make that determination. It may involve a few tests such as monitoring you while you sleep overnight at a sleep center.

If you’re diagnosed with insomnia, that’s just the first step. You still need to define insomnia as it affects you specifically. In other words, you need to figure out which problem you have with sleeping and why it’s happening.

Aside from an underlying illness, another possibility is that you could just be under general stress. When your body is stressed, it can react in many different ways. Whatever the reason, know that you can find treatment either through care provided by your doctor or through actions you take on your own.