Q&A for How to Know if You Have Insomnia

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How can I learn more about these symptoms as a teenager?

Janice Litza, MD
Board Certified Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Litza is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician based in Racine, Wisconsin. With over 25 years of educational and professional experience, she has extensive experience providing full-spectrum Family Medicine, including obstetrics, newborn care, and hospital medicine. She is currently the Residency Program Director for Family Medicine at Ascension. Dr. Litza received her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and has completed additional fellowship training in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona.

Janice Litza, MD

Board Certified Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

Getting enough sleep is especially important in the teen years as part of normal growth and development. It's also challenging with the increased use of technology, so for starters I would turn off all electronics or put in sleep mode for the 8 hours you plan to sleep. There are also programs to dim your computer screen brightness with natural nighttime and help reduce light stimulation. Journal your sleep pattern and challenges for a week and talk to your doctor if it continues.

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Question

Do I have insomnia if I have had trouble sleeping or staying asleep for several nights in a row?

Janice Litza, MD
Board Certified Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Litza is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician based in Racine, Wisconsin. With over 25 years of educational and professional experience, she has extensive experience providing full-spectrum Family Medicine, including obstetrics, newborn care, and hospital medicine. She is currently the Residency Program Director for Family Medicine at Ascension. Dr. Litza received her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and has completed additional fellowship training in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona.

Janice Litza, MD

Board Certified Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

Depends on how often this happens. Melatonin is especially good for a change in schedule or travel to help you get back to a healthy pattern.

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Question

Is it normal not to sleep?

Jeremy Bartz, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Jeremy Bartz is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice based in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Bartz specializes in treating depression, anxiety, OCD, mind-body syndromes, chronic pain, insomnia, relationship difficulties, attachment trauma, and resolving the effects of narcissistic trauma. He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Brigham Young University and completed a fellowship In Pain Psychology at Stanford's premier pain management clinic.

Jeremy Bartz, PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Expert Answer

Everybody has occasional bad nights; that's not considered insomnia. However, if you've only been getting a few hours of sleep for a week or more, then that's not normal—that would be more of a clinical issue.

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What causes insomnia?

Jeremy Bartz, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Jeremy Bartz is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice based in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Bartz specializes in treating depression, anxiety, OCD, mind-body syndromes, chronic pain, insomnia, relationship difficulties, attachment trauma, and resolving the effects of narcissistic trauma. He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Brigham Young University and completed a fellowship In Pain Psychology at Stanford's premier pain management clinic.

Jeremy Bartz, PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Expert Answer

Insomnia is habitual, so it's important to intervene as early as possible. For instance, if you just end up lying in bed awake at night, you're actually creating a counterproductive association that will make it harder to fall asleep.

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