“Am I sleeping? Have I slept at all? This is insomnia.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

Not long ago, I was able to successfully resolve my own insomnia, and I’d like to share what I learned. The key to improving sleep begins with understanding the type of insomnia you’re dealing with and the underlying cause. Once you identify both, choosing the right strategy becomes much easier.

The good news: in many cases, medical intervention is not required.

At the end of this article, I’ll share a simple method that can help you fall asleep more easily.

When You Should See a Doctor

Before discussing solutions, it’s important to recognize situations where insomnia may be secondary to a medical condition and requires professional evaluation:

• Chronic pain disorders
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Diabetes
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease

If insomnia occurs alongside any of these conditions, it should be addressed under medical supervision.

• “Insomnia is an indication, not a chaos. It’s like an ache. You’re not going to provide a patient ache medicine without figuring out what’s reasoning the pain.”
  ― Judith Owens

Types of Insomnia

1. General (Primary or Secondary) Insomnia

This is a broad classification of sleep disturbance that includes: