Sleep Disorders 101: Insomnia

Insomnia develops in one of every four Americans each year, but despite its prevalence among the general population, insomnia continues to be vastly underdiagnosed. As explained in a 2016 study, patients should be screened for insomnia consistently as they age, as aging and diabetes are most commonly associated with insomnia symptoms.

And while aging is a very broad risk factor, screening is important to tackling insomnia head-on as 27% of insomniacs don’t realize they have the condition. 

Considering insomnia is such a widely documented sleep disorder, it’s fair to wonder how this is possible—but insomnia is a bit more complex than simply having it or not. See, 30-35% of people suffer from mild insomnia, meaning that their symptoms aren’t as obvious as someone who suffers from moderate or severe insomnia. On top of that, individuals can suffer from acute (short-term affliction) or chronic insomnia (long-term affliction).