In most people, the first period occurs between midnight and 7 a.m. with the second occurring between 1 and 4 p.m. The body's basic physiologic need for sleep may be increased in a patient that experiences sleep loss or sleep disruption on a regular basis. This may create a sleep deficit that further exacerbates the patient's condition. Insomnia may manifest itself as the result of multiple concurrent factors and it may be transient or chronic in duration. The differentiation between transient or chronic insomnia is essential in order to determine an appropriate course of therapy.
Transient insomnia lasts between one night and a few weeks.
The most common causes of transient insomnia include acute medical illness, alterations in one's sleep environment, jet lag, and work or family stress. The onset of transient insomnia can usually be directly correlated with the occurrence of one of these factors in a patient's life. Usually transient insomnia can be effectively treated if the underlying cause is given appropriate attention and alleviated or reduced. 3 Chronic insomnia is defined by a difficulty sleeping for at least three night per week for one month or more. The most common contributing factors in chronic insomnia are underlying medical conditions, psychiatric illnesses, medication side effects, sleep related breathing disorders, sleep related movement disorders, and circadian rhythm disorders.