Insomnia can be viewed as inadequate or poor quality sleep due to any of the following reasons:

​

~Unsatisfactory sleep​

~Frequently waking up​

~Waking up too early​

~Trouble falling asleep​

​

Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep, or how long it takes to fall asleep. Instead it is seen as the amount of need and satisfaction one gets from sleep. 



Insomnia is often practically defined as a positive response to either of two questions:

"Do you experience difficulty sleeping?" or "Do you have difficulty falling or staying asleep?"



Those who are having trouble sleeping sometimes turn to sleeping pills, which can help when used occasionally but may lead to dependence or addiction if used regularly for an extended period.