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Symptom: Insomnia

Insomnia: Inability to fall or stay asleep
Detailed cause information for symptom: Insomnia:

Possible causes of symptom: Insomnia (104 conditions)

Medications or substances causing symptom: Insomnia (23 listings)

Medical conditions causing symptom: Insomnia (49 conditions)

Medical conditions causing complication: Insomnia (3 conditions)

Disease information: see also Insomnia condition information

Causes of Insomnia (101 conditions)

Medication Causes of Insomnia (21 causes)

Risk Factors for Insomnia

Medical articles on symptoms: These general medical articles may be of interest:

Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
Symptoms and Medical Malpractice
Medical mistakes and their rates, causes and prevention
Deaths and sudden death

Symptoms related to Insomnia: restlessness (32)
Insomnia type of: Sleep symptoms (100)
Symptoms: symptom center, symptom groups, symptom descriptions

Possible causes of symptom: Insomnia: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Insomnia as a symptom. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

Common problems with the sleeping environment include:

Sleeping area distractions
Noise
Extreme temperatures
Poorly ventilated bedroom
Stuffy bedroom
Hot bedroom
Cold bedroom
Wrong mattress
Too soft mattress
Too hard mattress

Some possible causes of infant or child sleep problems include:
- Hunger
- Colic
- Indigestion
- Dirty diaper
- Too hot
- Too cold
- Teething
- Earache
- Dental problem
- Worms
- Leg cramps (see Leg pain)
Common causes of mild insomnia:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Normal aging
- Caffeine before bedtime
- Sugar snack before bedtime
- Environment change
- Sleep schedule problems
- Jet lag
- Shift work
- Excessive caffeine
- Excessive alcohol
- Excitement
- Anger (see Aggression)
- Grief
- Mental stimulation before bedtime
- Daytime napping (see Drowsiness) - can cause or prolong the problem.
- Worrying about insomnia - exacerbates the situation.
- Disrupted sleep schedules
- Smoking - especially at bedtime
- Sex at bedtime - some people become stimulated after sex.
- Substance abuse
Sleep disorders
- Sleep apnea
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Narcolepsy
- Restless legs syndrome
- Primary insomnia
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorder
- Parasomnias
- Breathing-related sleep disorder
- Substance-induced sleep disorder
Emotional or mental disorders possibly causing insomnia:
Other possible underlying problems for severe insomnia:
Physical discomfort - any disease that causes any discomfort may interface with sleep:
- Chronic pain
- Arthritis
- Arthritis pain
- Ulcer pain
- Angina
- Duodenal ulcers
- Shortness of breath - when it occurs at night
- Heart failure
- Lung disorders
Night urination - may cause insomnia due to the need to urinate:
- Enlarged bladder (see Bladder symptoms)
- Cystitis
- See also causes of night urination
Certain illicit drugs
Amphetamine intoxication
Chronic amphetamine use
Certain medications
Withdrawal of medications
See also causes of symptom insomnia

Medications or substances causing Insomnia: The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Insomnia as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

Various common substances can cause insomnia:
- Caffeine - especially before bedtime, but even in the afternoon for some people.
- Smoking - especially at bedtime
- Excessive alcohol
- Certain illicit drugs
- Amphetamine intoxication
- Chronic amphetamine use
Certain medications may cause insomnia:
- Thyroid hormones
- Certain weight loss drugs
- Phenylpropanolamine (PPA)
- Amphetamines
- Nasal decongestants
- Diuretics - due to night urination
- High-potency vitamins
- Certain antidepressants
- Certain mood-altering drugs
Withdrawal of certain medications
Withdrawal of sleeping pills

Conditions listing symptoms: Insomnia: The following list of conditions have 'Insomnia' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

A

Alcohol Withdrawal ... insomnia

Alcoholism ... difficulty sleeping, insomnia

Amphetamines ... difficulty sleeping, restless sleep

Asbestosis ... sleep disturbances

Ascariasis ... disturbed sleep

Autoimmune thyroid diseases ... insomnia

B

Barbiturate abuse ... insomnia

Benzodiazepine abuse ... insomnia

Bipolar disorder ... difficulty sleeping, insomnia, trouble sleeping

C

Carbon monoxide poisoning ... sleep disturbance

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ... sleeplessness, difficulty sleeping

Cocaine ... insomnia

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease ... insomnia

Cushing's syndrome ... sleep disturbances

D

Depression ... difficulty sleeping, waking too early

Depressive disorders ... difficulty sleeping, waking too early

Dysthymia ... difficulty sleeping, waking too early

E

Earache ... Sleeping difficulty

East African Trypanosomiasis ... insomnia at night

Ecstasy ... insomnia

Eczema ... difficulty sleeping

F

Fibromyalgia ... sleep disturbances, difficulty sleeping

Food allergies ... poor sleeping

G

Generalized anxiety disorder ... trouble staying asleep, trouble falling asleep

Graves Disease ... insomnia

H

Hyperthyroidism ... insomnia

I

Insomnia ... frequent night waking, unrefreshing sleep, difficulty returning to sleep, waking too early, difficulty falling asleep

J

Jet lag ... insomnia

M

Menopause ... insomnia

Middle ear infection ... Sleeping difficulty

Mountain sickness ... sleep disturbances

N

Narcolepsy ... tossing and turning, Disturbed nighttime sleep, frequent nightly waking, frequent awakenings

O

Obstructive sleep apnea ... frequent arousals, restless sleep

Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy ... trouble sleeping

P

Periodic limb movements in sleep ... trouble staying asleep, trouble falling asleep

Postpartum psychosis ... insomnia

Premenstrual syndrome ... insomnia

Primary insomnia ... insomnia, difficulty staying asleep, difficulty falling asleep

Prion diseases ... insomnia

Problem Sleepiness ... poor sleep, not enough sleep

R

Restless Legs Syndrome ... sleep onset insomnia, difficulty sleeping, difficulty staying asleep

S

Sinusitis ... disturbed sleep

Sleep apnea ... frequent arousals, restless sleep

Sleep deprivation ... poor sleep

T

Thiamine deficiency ... sleep disturbance

Thyroid disorders ... insomnia

Trigeminal neuralgia ... difficulty sleeping

W

West African Trypanosomiasis ... insomnia at night

Whiplash ... sleep disturbances

Conditions listing complications: Insomnia: The following list of conditions have 'Insomnia' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.