If it consistently takes a long time (more than 15-20 minutes) to fall asleep, you spend a lot of time awake during the night, or feel tired during your waking hours, you may have insomnia. This sleep disorder will worsen over time if you continue to experience these sleep challenges over the course of weeks and months.

Symptoms of insomnia

Insomnia symptoms can include:

  • Staying awake for more than 15 -20 minutes after laying down to go to bed
  • Waking up frequently during the night
  • Spending a lot of time awake at night, or feeling like you barely slept
  • Waking up before the alarm and being unable to fall back asleep
  • Feeling tired, unfocused, anxious, or irritable during the day

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Colleen Ehrnstrom's profile picture
Dr. Colleen Ehrnstrom, PhD

Dr. Colleen Ehrnstrom is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty practice in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Areas of expertise include insomnia and other sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression.

Dr. Ehrnstrom is not a medical provider and is not providing any recommendations regarding medications. Rather, she is sharing and reviewing the research as it relates to education when learning how best to treat insomnia.

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