Most experts agree that if it takes you 30 minutes or more to fall asleep, or if you are awake during the middle of the night for at least 30 minutes, three times a week, you have an insomnia problem that needs attention. There is, however, some variability in how people identify insomnia as significant enough to seek help.

Unfortunately, people often put off getting treatment for insomnia. They feel as though they can get by with poor quality sleep. Before most people take action and get help, the severity of the sleep problem often must cross some critical threshold, or there is an important event—such as an auto accident or loss of a job—that finally pushes them to do something about it.

About 30% of the population experiences insomnia at least once in their lives, while over 10% have what would be considered chronic insomnia—sleep difficulty that has persists for weeks or months. Yet even those with this severe condition rarely see a physician about their problem; in fact, only about 5% of chronic insomniacs seek medical attention.

Insomnia is not something to take lightly, as studies show that sleep deprivation can have serious health consequences. For example, healthy young men restricted to four hours of sleep per night for just six nights showed impaired glucose tolerance similar to a pre-diabetic state, as well as reduced levels of growth hormone and cortisol. These effects are similar to normal aging, suggesting that restricted sleep may increase the severity of age-related illnesses. Other studies reveal a critical relationship between sleep and immune system health.

Despite its importance to health, most primary care physicians are not comfortable with issues related to sleep and don't ask patients about their sleep habits or whether they experience sleep difficulties. One reason is that sleep information is not usually covered as part of regular patient histories.

The Insomnia Assessment is designed to evaluate your insomnia, looking for possible causes and recommending ways to improve your sleep. If your sleep problem goes beyond difficulty with falling asleep or staying asleep, then we recommend that you take our more comprehensive Sleep Assessment, which covers a much wider range of sleep issues. With both assessments, conditions that may require a primary care or specialist physician evaluation and/or medication are highlighted so that you can get the care you need. So before you nod off from insufficient sleep, take the Insomnia Assessment to start your journey toward a more restful and restorative night.