Why Can’t I Sleep?

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you’re not alone. The Institute of Medicine reports that between 50 million and 70 million adults in the U.S. have a sleep disorder. Nearly half of all adults report snoring, and more than one-third report that they get less than 7 hours of sleep in a typical night. What’s causing all this tossing and turning? There are several different reasons why you might be having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep or waking up too early. Insomnia Insomnia refers to general difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. The occasional sleepless night doesn’t mean you have insomnia. That happens to everyone from time to time. But if this is happening to you more frequently, you may have either short-term or chronic insomnia.

Sometimes people develop short-term insomnia during stressful times in their lives -- for example, if you’re going through a divorce or under pressure for a big deadline at work. You might also experience short-term insomnia due to jet lag after a long trip, this type of insomnia can last for up to 3 months.