Transient Insomnia
Is a temporary bout of insomnia, often caused by environmental changes disrupting a persons sleep for a night or two. Other things such as jet-lag can disturb sleep patterns. The majority of people suffering from this type of insomnia just need a period of time to adjust to there new sleeping patterns.

Acute Insomnia
This can last from 1 night to a few weeks, a can be caused by a variety of factors, but is not as serious as chronic insomnia.

Chronic Insomnia
This is the most serious case of the three and is also known as long-term insomnia. It can last for years among sufferers, plaguing them throughout life. Insomnia is classified as chronic when a person has trouble sleeping for 3 times a week or more for over a periods of at least a month.

There are also 2 categories insomnia can fall into for causes, they are;

Primary insomnia
Meaning that your insomnia is not directly related to any other health problem or environmental cause.

Secondary insomnia
Is that your insomnia is the result of another health condition, the most common types of secondary (otherwise known as co- morbid) insomnia include;

• Depression – 70% of all sufferers report symptom of insomnia
• Side effects from other medications
• Being in pain or difficulty e.g arthritis or asthma can hinder sleep
• Substance abuse – such as alcohol or drugs
• Stress worry and anxiety
• Environmental change – such as difficulty adjusting to climate

Some people find relief from over the counter treatments and sleep aids. While these may work for some people, there are certain risks that are involved, and if you have any concerns about them, it is important that you discuss those with your doctor prior to taking any. There may be certain kinds that can work better for you, and you also need to consider any other medications that you are taking.

Relaxation techniques work for a lot of people, and they are a good option to try before you try any medications. You can try listening to relaxing music before you go to bed, reading, meditation, hot tea and other kinds of exercises that promote the ease of going to sleep. If you try all of these kinds of remedies, and are still not able to fall asleep, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about trying a medication or sleep aid.

If your sleep patterns are not what they should be, you can start to experience other health problems because of the lack of sleep. People who have insomnia for some time, think that they have to learn to deal with it, and that there is nothing that they can do to make it better. While it may be possible to simply deal with insomnia for a while, it can cause other problems to occur, and it is not good for your body or mind to go without the proper amount of sleep. If you have tried a lot of things and are still not able to fall asleep, talk to your doctor and see if there are any options that you can try.