A person can have primary or secondary insomnia.
Primary insomnia – having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem.
Secondary insomnia – having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition (like depression, heartburn, cancer, asthma, arthritis), pain, medication they are taking, or a substance they are using (like alcohol).
Insomnia can be short-term (called acute insomnia) or last a long time (called chronic insomnia).
Short-term insomnia (acute insomnia)- can last from one night to a few weeks. It is often caused by emotional or physical discomfort, and can be related to a single specific event.
Chronic (long-term) insomnia is when a person has insomnia at least 3 nights a week for 1 month or longer.
It can be caused by many things and often occurs along with other health problems. Common causes of chronic insomnia are depression, chronic stress, and pain or discomfort at night.