Insomnia: A Biological Standpoint

Insomnia is a common enough term, at least as far as what it is goes. However, for a more clinical definition John Pinel, author of the psychology textbook Biopsychology notes that insomnia "...includes all disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep" (2006). An insomnia diagnosis can also be given due to a nonrestorative sleep, however, simply not getting enough sleep is not considered insomnia. Additionally, primary insomnia is not a disorder that can result from a mental disorder, medical disorder, or as a result of substance abuse. Instead, under the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychological Association) insomnia resulting from the aforementioned is a secondary problem. These secondary causes will be discussed after primary insomnia causes are addressed.